Wolves of Manhattan
by maryeemeeh
Summary: He is the rich kid from the Upper East Side with a troubled past and a dysfunctional family. She is from Greenwich Village who is pulled into the world of the rich and famous when her parents receive promotions. When their paths cross, a spark is ignited and the tables are turned when they learn they are far more connected than they thought. AU. Lucas/Riley.
1. Chapter 1

**WOLVES OF MANHATTAN**

 **Summary:** _He is the rich kid from the Upper East Side with a troubled past and a dysfunctional family. She is from Greenwich Village who is pulled into the world of the rich and famous when her parents receive promotions. When their paths cross, a spark is ignited and the tables are turned when they learn they are far more connected than they thought._

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

"Luke, don't do this!"

His eyes snapped open as he clenched his bruised fist and stormed out the room, ignoring his friends' pleas to stop. He stumbled outside and watched one of the guys from their high school football team scurried to his red Ford Mustang as quickly as he was able to. With his adrenaline on high, he ran to his car and jumped inside his white BMW i8 sports car and took off chasing after him.

His mind was racing and anger flooded his veins, threatening to cloud his better judgment and making it difficult to concentrate on what he was seeing. He hadn't felt such rage in a very long time, but he was determined he would pay for this; he would make him pay.

He sped down the half empty streets, getting in and out of the freeway, passing cars left and right and inching closer to the Ford Mustang. Anxiety pooled in the pit of his stomach as he pressed his foot harder against the accelerator to make it go a bit faster.

And then suddenly his instincts kicked in at once as he noticed a dog running in the middle of his lane. He gasped in shock, immediately slamming on the brakes and making a sharp turn, avoiding the dog by a thread as he was hurtling towards the fire hydrant, which burst into a stream of water.

And then there was nothing.

No noise.

No feeling.

Only darkness as his consciousness slowly ebbed away.

* * *

He moaned as he slowly woke up and found himself squinting under the harsh lighting. His throat was dry and his eyes were thick with sleep. He recognized the smells and the sounds of an IV machine beeping in his ear. When his eyes fluttered, he realized that he wasn't in his room. Instead, he was in the last place he wanted to be.

The hospital.

"Lucas?" He heard a soft feminine voice beside him, "Can you hear me?"

He slowly turned to look at his female companion and weakly smiled, relieved to see a familiar face. "Hey, Maya." He greeted, half-wincing when he became aware of the migraine and the pain in his chest. "What happened?" His voice came out small as every breath he took hurt like hell.

"Well, you crashed into a fire hydrant and the paramedics found you unconscious."

There was a moment of brief silence as his eyes trained on the ceiling in deep thought, trying to recollect everything that happened. "So he managed to get away…again." He shook his head in disbelief. "That jerk." Maya tried not to frown under the disappointment and anger in his voice. "Are you okay though?" He asked, concern feigning in his soft emerald gaze when he looked back at her.

"Yea," she said with a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine."

"He should have not said all those nasty rumors about you." He replied, looking increasingly annoyed. "I promise you, Maya I'll make him pay."

She sighed, brushing her long blonde hair out of her eyes. "Okay, Huckleberry. This needs to stop. You can't fight our battles all the time and have these angry outbursts. It doesn't do you or any of us any good." Lucas averted from her gaze with a slight roll to his eyes. He heard it all before. He's heard it several times for the past year or two and stopped listening at some point. "You could have hurt someone and gotten yourself killed tonight."

"She's right, yah know." Came another worried voice that he recognized to be his best friend's. "You were lucky. No broken bones. Just a few minor cuts and bruises."

Lucas smiled up at him by the time he reached his bedside. "Hey, Zay."

"Hey, man." Zay managed a smile as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

Lucas shrugged and let out a light groan, feeling the pain radiate from his back and down to his legs. "I've been better, bro."

"Well you might feel even worse." Lucas turned to another male voice in the room as he appeared next to Maya.

"Why is that, Farkle?"

"Your mom is on her way."

A heavy sigh escaped from his lips as Lucas closed his eyes, wishing he could just disappear altogether. "Great."

* * *

 _A few days later…_

Lucas toyed anxiously with a stray thread of his uniform khaki slacks while he waited outside the Dean's office. After being summoned out of his last class for the day, he had spent ten minutes waiting in the reception with only the constant clacking of computer keys and the ticking of the wall clock to keep him company.

The door opened with a creak, causing Lucas' head to snap up. He furrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment, expecting to be approach by a plump, short middle-aged man with balding grey hair and oversized glasses. But instead he looked up to see someone he never seen before; a slender man who appeared to be in his mid-to-late thirties with short, curly dark brown hair wearing a dark blue plaid shirt underneath a dark grey suit jacket and black pants.

"Ahh, Mr. Friar. Sorry to keep you waiting." He greeted him warmly. "My name is Cory Matthews and I am the new Dean."

Lucas nodded and took the hand offered, shaking it kindly with a greeting. "Hello, Sir."

"Please come inside."

Mr. Matthews led him inside the office, which was in the middle of being refurbished. The walls were empty of portraits, certificates and personal items. The only thing present in the room was a computer and laptop that sits on the mahogany desk with three swivel chairs. By the time he closed the door, Lucas noticed his mother sitting on one of them.

"Mom?"

She looked over her shoulder and gave him a small smile. "Come sit down, sweetheart." She said, gesturing to the empty seat beside her. Lucas reluctantly sat down, his eyes curiously following the Dean as he makes his way over to the desk to sit across from them.

"So what are you doing here, Mom?" He asked, annoyance creeping on the forefront of his tone. "Don't you have a debutante ball to organize or a gala to attend to or something?"

"Don't be rude, Lucas. Mr. Matthews called me over here to discuss your punishment after the stunt you pulled last weekend." She said calmly, earning himself a glare from his mother.

"You know, Mr. Friar I've been going through your files and I'm quite impressed." He said, taking Lucas completely off guard. "You're a 3.5 student athlete, who hasn't missed or was ever late to class. And yet, a good kid like yourself has a history of getting into fights." Mr. Matthews paused, shaking his head. "You're sixteen, Lucas. You have your whole life ahead of you and you're out there getting in trouble. Can't say I'm not disappointed."

Lucas regarded him carefully with an intense stare. "So what is it going to be, sir? Are you going to suspend me?" He challenged. "Expel me? Send me to juvie?"

"Is that what you want, Mr. Friar?"

Lucas shook his head sharply, and for the first time in a long time, he felt vulnerable. Not because he was in trouble, but because he saw something in Mr. Matthews' eyes he never seen before. Instead of the usual look of disappointment and shame Lucas seem to earn from staff that held administrative positions, he saw hope and unwavering faith in his. "No," he finally answered after a long minute of silence.

Mr. Matthews studied him carefully as he leaned back against the chair, absently twirling a pen between his fingers. "I don't know how your previous Dean do things around here, son but I'm taking a rather different approach. Luckily for you the city hasn't press any charges, and I happen to know the chief of police who has agreed to the terms I will present to you for your punishment."

"Alright." Lucas drew in a nervous breath. "Let's hear it."

"Your driver's licensed has been suspended for a year."

"What?!"

"Which means your driving privileges has been temporarily withdrawn until the duration of your suspension is over. If you violate the law and rules of driving again, your license will be revoked." Lucas grumbled something incoherent as Mr. Matthews continued on. "You are banned from participating in any team sports for the rest of the school year, and instead you will be an assistant coach to a local little league baseball team after school."

"Anything else?" Lucas asked. He couldn't decide whether he should be happy or not. He's not getting suspended or going to jail but he has to watch over little kids, let alone teach them how to play.

"Yes, as part of your community service, you will be working four hours a day during the weekends at Topanga's."

Lucas groaned despondently, burying his face in his hands and resting them on his knees. "It's better than jail, sweetie." He heard his mother say as he looked at her and quietly nodded.

"When do I start, sir?"

* * *

He had been dreading this moment since he stepped out of the Dean's office yesterday. And so when the day finally arrived, Lucas couldn't believe he was enjoying his time as an assistant coach. Never mind the cold in mid-April or the fact that he was coaching boys who were barely four feet tall. He loved baseball, and there was something about teaching the fundamentals of the sport to the next generation of athletes that he found comforting and rewarding.

He spent the majority of the afternoon shadowing the head coach, observing and taking a mental note of the daily routine that goes on in every practice. At one point, Lucas volunteered to demonstrate the proper way to hold a baseball bat and pitch a baseball using different grips, earning praises and approval from the kids as well as the head couch.

"So do you play a lot?" The head coach asked, joining Lucas on the first row of the bleachers as soon as he had the kids pair up for a round of throw and catch.

"Yea, I'm on the high school baseball team over at Thomas Jefferson Prep." Lucas smiled, but then frowned slightly and looked down. "Well…I _was_ anyway. What about you, Coach?"

"Please, call me Josh. And yes, I play for NYU."

"Nice."

"Last guy I had knew nothing about baseball. Thank God my brother sent you."

"Brother?"

He nodded, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips as he began leaving his place on the bottom bleachers to return to his kids. "Yep. I believe you know him as Mr. Cory Matthews."

Lucas raised a brow with a thoughtful look on his face. "Huh. You don't say..."

The whistle blew as all the kids surrounded Josh, most of them relieved to have practice come to an end. He talked for a minute when Lucas noticed a crowd of parents waiting behind the fence to pick up their child. "Good practice, boys. I'll see you all here same time tomorrow." He said as the team started to head out. Lucas was about to grab his things from the dugout when he felt someone tug at his blue long-sleeve shirt. He turned around and lowered his gaze at the curly, brown haired boy staring up at him.

"Thanks for the tip, Coach. I had fun."

Lucas smiled. "Anytime."

"Come on, Auggie. Let's go!"

"I'm coming!" The boy exclaimed as Lucas followed the sound of a feminine voice yelling for him. And sure enough, he saw a pretty brunette looking in their direction, waiting from outside the fence. Their eyes met briefly from a distance and he smiled, the smallest smile he could muster, just enough to make sure that she knew he noticed her.

* * *

 **A/N:** To be continued? Thanks for reading. Let me know what you guys think.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** : Thanks for all the reviews, adds and alerts. Just FYI, this story will be completely AU, so some relationships between the characters will differ from the show. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter!

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO**

Lucas stifled a sigh of frustration when he joined his mother for breakfast the following morning. She was in one of those moods again. He could tell by the way she was absently playing with her scrambled eggs and taping the bottom of the plate with her silver fork.

He sat down across from her and signaled the maid to bring him his cappuccino, anticipating the dark, cinnamon smell of the brew and the dense foam that gets stuck in his upper lip. He reached across the table to pick up a butter croissant among an assortment of fresh baked goods when suddenly his mother decides to break the silence.

"I have some good news." She finally said as Lucas raised an eyebrow. "As you may already know, your father still has another two months of his sentence to serve. But because of good behavior, the courts have granted him an early release."

There was a moment of dead silence as Lucas stared at his mother in surprise. "When is he out?"

"By the end of this month."

"That's two weeks from now."

His mother nodded, smiling. "Isn't that wonderful?" She continued eating her breakfast unconcernedly. When she was through chewing she said, "We can finally be a family again."

Lucas fell silent and returned to eating his food, though he no longer had an appetite. Taking a few more sips of his coffee, he then pushed his plate to the side and calmly left the table. "And where do you think you're going?" She asked softly as he grabbed his messenger bag from the table counter before he reached the doors to their apartment.

"Um school." He replied in a sarcastic tone laced with utter annoyance. "Where else would I go?"

"Don't be ridiculous." She retorted. "You still have an hour till your first class. Sit down and finish your breakfast."

"No, thank you."

"Lucas."

"I'm not hungry, Mom."

She waited and looked at him. When she didn't get the answer she wanted, she knew she wouldn't win this argument, and so she didn't even try to fight against him.

"Very well." She said with a sigh. "Andre is waiting for you downstairs."

"Who the hell is Andre?"

"He is your new driver, so be nice."

Lucas rolled his eyes before grabbing the rest of his things and walking out of the apartment without another word.

* * *

"So your father is being released early?" Zay asked, his voice soft and low in the midst of a crowded hallway. Lucas slammed his locker shut and turned to face him.

"Yea."

"That's great." Zay exclaimed, but then frowned when he noticed the look of confusion, disappointment and annoyance on his face. "I mean…that's great news right?" He asked hesitantly.

Before Lucas can say anything, he turned his gaze over to the right and spotted Maya motioning towards them. He waved at her in greeting when suddenly his eyes shifted over to a male student stalking and trailing behind her. His lips thinned and his face flushed a bit as he felt the anger surge through him. It didn't take him a second to know it was the senior football player from the party.

"Lucas…" Zay said in warning, knowing what's about to go down. "Before you do anything stupid, just think about the consequences for a minute. You are already in deep shit, you don't want to make things even worse."

Lucas ignored him as Maya met his gaze with a small smile, and then furrowed her eyebrows at the furious expression on his face. Sensing something is wrong, she turned around abruptly and looked up to face the last person she wanted to see.

"Thor?" She sighed in disgust, about to give him a piece of her mind when she saw he was looking past her with eyes filled with mischief. Maya didn't have to turn around to know that Lucas had caught his attention. Suddenly, Thor began inching away from her, retreating in the opposite direction. And then he ran, only to find Lucas zooming past her.

"Lucas!"

He raced down the hallways, dodging students left and right. He ran as fast as he could for as long as his legs would. But he was no match against an athlete, let alone a running back who was trailing further ahead.

Turning blindly with his eyes and mind completely immersed in catching up to him, he doesn't notice that another person was directly on his path. Unfortunately, it was too late and his late reaction made it impossible for him to stop on time as he collided into someone, his upper jaw taking a direct hit from what felt like a hard head. Limbs were flailing and books were flying in the air as he lost his footing and fell back causing the petite figure to fall right on top of him. Strangled cries from both of them resonated in the hallway, making a few people turn their heads towards them as others put their hands up to their mouths immediately to stifle their laughter.

"I am so sorry." Said a small and timid voice. Lucas opened his eyes to see a young woman looking down at him, her eyes large and brown, reflecting her emotions on how truly sorry she was. Her brunette hair was down in gorgeous waves, framing her face perfectly. He blinked a couple of times, as he was completely awed by the beauty on top of him. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." She apologized again, her eyes flickering over to the questioning position they were in as she scrambled to her feet and began picking up the books from the ground.

"Oh, no. Please don't apologize." He jumped back on his feet and handed her one of the books. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have been running in the halls."

"Well it must have been really important." She replied, smiling. "And thanks to my clumsiness and my inability to not be a total klutz for the day, I have officially delayed whatever it is you were rushing to do."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, completely forgetting about Thor. Listening to her long speech and rambling on, he doesn't know whether she was completely mad or she was being completely adorable. Nonetheless, he can't take his eyes off her animated face.

"Are you okay?" He asked, clearing his throat. "Are you hurt?"

"Me? Oh no, I'm fine. I've had worst falls, and this was nothing." She declared a little loudly as he watched her eyes glistened and twinkled.

"So…is this a habit of yours? Falling and running into people?" He smirked playfully.

"A few times a week…tops." She giggled and flashed him a smile that made his heart beat a notch faster. "But anyway…are _you_ okay? I hope my head didn't hit you too hard."

"I'm fine." Lucas gave her a reassuring smile. With the window streaming in a soft morning light, it reflected in her hair and revealed more of her striking features. He held her gaze and can see the familiarity in her as if he had seen her before. "Have we met?"

"I doubt it. I'm actually new here."

"Oh, that explains it then." He answered, smiling. "Welcome to Thomas Jefferson Prep."

"Thank you." She beamed at him, and he cannot help the way his heart thuds when he looks at her. "Besides getting an embarrassing introductory in all my classes on the first day, you're actually the first person to give me a warm welcome, so thank you. I really appreciate it."

"No problem."

She looked down at her books, her fingers gently gliding over each one. "I guess I should get going. My next class is on the other side of campus and I really don't want to be late." She said suddenly, looking up at him as she bowed slightly.

As she began to walk away, Lucas realized that he doesn't want her to go just yet. There was something about her he found intriguing, and it was something welcoming that he cannot quite place. Quickly scanning his thoughts, he tried to think of ways that will make her stay, that will make her say something to him even if it was only for a brief second.

"Um…I'm Lucas by the way." He blurted out a little too quickly. She turned to him and grinned.

"My name is Riley."

He gave her a slight smile and felt his own cheeks heating up. "I guess I'll see you around, Riley."

She gave him a warm and radiant smile. "I sure hope so."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews, adds and alerts. This chapter would have been posted sooner, but made a lot of changes to further the story along. With that said, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE**

The alarm sounded quietly at first, barely stirring Lucas from his slumber. The alarm sounded again, but this time louder making him roll over to switch it off whist pulling the pillow over his head to cover his ears.

"Monsieur Lucas, wake up." He heard the thick French accent of his maid's voice coming from the other side of his bedroom door. "Please, you'll be late for school." She knocked on the large wooden door politely. When there was no answer, she knocked again. "Monsieur?" She slowly opened the door and quietly walked in. Lucas groaned and pulled the blanket over his head as the maid opened the curtains to let in the faint morning sunlight. "Lucas, it's time to wake up."

A soft mumble could be heard through the blankets. The maid tried to grab the sheets off him, but Lucas grabbed it back holding it tightly. She sighed, realizing that Lucas didn't seem to be getting up any time soon. Taking matters into her own hands, she began to shake him lightly, forcing him to reluctantly climb out of bed.

He took a quick shower and walked to the changing room where he dressed into his school uniform khaki pants and white rolled up long sleeve button-up shirt. Looking in the mirror, Lucas loosened his skinny red base with blue and white stripes tie and made sure his designer navy blazer was on straight. After lightly gelling his hair and brushing his teeth, he ran down the stairs and took the elevator down to the lobby. He stepped outside where his driver Andre, in a black suit and tie with sunglasses, was waiting for him.

"Good morning, Mr. Friar." He greeted him warmly as he opened the back door of the vehicle.

"No need for formalities, Andre. Just call me Lucas." He said, stepping inside the back seat of the black Cadillac Escalade.

"Very well, Lucas." Andre closed the door and slid into the driver's seat.

The ride was quiet with the radio softly playing in the background. For all of fifteen minutes, Lucas stared out the window at the many pedestrians and cars on the streets. He was staring off into the distance as if he were lost in thought, looking at the different people when suddenly someone caught his eye. Appearing from the underground subway station and onto the sidewalk was the pretty brunette from school wearing the uniform plaid navy skirt with a grey cardigan over a white button up blouse and black cross tie. His eyes trailed down to her long, toned legs that were half covered with black knee-high socks. For some inexplicable reason he was drawn to her, and the rest of him instantly longed to follow.

"Pull over right here."

"Sir?"

"Pull over." He demanded.

Andre followed Lucas' instruction and parked the car by the side of the road. Without giving much of an explanation, Lucas then immediately got out of the vehicle and hurried to cross the street to catch up with her.

"Hey!" He yelled and slowed down by the time he reached the sidewalk. The brunette stopped dead in her tracks as she spun around and smiled brightly at him.

"Lucas. Hey!"

"Hey…" he said again with a smile. "Riley, right?"

"Yeah."

"Um, I saw you…just now while I was in the car on the way to school." He spoke nervously, clearing his throat. "Did you need a ride or something?"

Riley's eyes snapped up to his with a mixture of surprise and confusion. She heard many stories about Upper East Siders. It pleased her to know chivalry existed among them.

"Oh no, it's only a few blocks away. I actually prefer walking." She assured him and he looked her over, nodding.

"Oh. Okay." His face had a look that almost seemed like disappointment.

"Thanks for the offer though."

He smiled. "Yea, sure." There was a moment of silence as he looked around awkwardly, trying to think of something to say. "May I join you?" He dared to ask, raising his eyebrows hopefully. "I mean…if that's alright with you?" Riley looked at him for a long second, and then gave a nervous nod.

"Of course." She replied with a smile. "I could use the company."

She gestured with her hand for Lucas to walk beside her, and in a moment they were walking side by side towards school. It was slightly chilly out, but neither seemed to notice. They would look passingly at the tall buildings and trees, or up at the blue sky with a few patches of lingering clouds. Every now and then he would steal a glance at her, watching as her eyes lit up in curiosity and wonder at every building and every living thing that they come across. Lucas was quiet for another minute, and then he asked. "So what's your story?"

"My story?" She looked a bit confused.

"Yea. You know…what brings you to Thomas Jefferson Prep?"

"Oh…" She lightly giggled, the sound of her soft laughter melting his heart. "Well...I didn't have much of a choice. Where my father goes, I go too." She mumbled the last bit so fast and low, he didn't quite catch it. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate. "You see both my parents got promoted. My Mom is an attorney working for a big law firm and my Dad is a former teacher who is now head of an entire school. Money started pouring in, and they were making more than enough to send me to a prep school to better my chances in getting into an Ivy League."

"Where to?"

"Harvard."

He nodded as they crossed the street, the city passing them by as each step takes them closer to school.

"But anyway, what about you?" She asked while giving him a sideway glance. "What's your story?"

Lucas looked at her in surprise. "You really want to know my story? A privileged kid from the Upper East Side with very rich parents?"

"Why not? Something tells me there is more to you than just what's on the surface." They stopped at another intersection, waiting until it was safe to cross the street. His gaze settled on her face for a long, tense moment. He said nothing for a few beats as she gave him an encouraging smile.

"Ok...well…" he began hesitantly, "I grew up in Austin, Texas."

"Aww, you're a country boy." She teased, causing him to blush a light shade of red. "That explains the teeny weeny accent. But go on."

"I grew up in my Pappy Joe's—my grandfather's farm and helped raise animals. We grow and harvest our own produce and sell it to neighboring markets. What first started off as a successful small family business turned into an even bigger one. We now have multiple farms and land all over Texas and just recently a vineyard in California where we also sell wine."

"And how did you end up in New York?"

"Well my father wanted to expand the family business. He was specifically interested in international real estate and construction, so he founded Friar Enterprises, its main headquarters located here in Manhattan. And New York happens to be the place where he met by mother, who is a fashion designer and CEO of a fashion magazine."

"Wow…that's amazing. Your family must be pretty loaded." She said as Lucas chuckled.

"Yea…but it isn't glamorous as some people make it out to be." There was a tiny wistful tone in his voice. Riley wasn't sure what triggered it, but she assumed there was more to his life than he was letting on. So she simply nodded her head, knowing that it was none of her business as they approached the front of the school building and stood by the stair steps that led to the main entrance.

"It must to be nice though…" she paused, turning to face him, "to have everything you ever wanted."

He had a strange vacant look on his face as he was staring at her intently; his gaze flickering from her eyes to her lips and then back to her eyes. "Not everything."

She felt her stomach tightened at the melancholy, but soft gleam in his emerald eyes. They stood in silence looking at each other and smiling for maybe a little too long when they were suddenly brought out of it by the sound of the first warning bell. Her gaze fell behind him and her eyes widened.

"Oh god! I…uh, gotta go to class." She said hurriedly, realizing the time.

"Yea, that makes two of us."

"Thanks for walking with me."

"Of course. Thanks for letting me." Lucas smiled down at her and she laughed quietly through closed lips.

"I'll see you around. Thanks again!"

He smiled while he watched her leave, waiting for a short amount of time before he headed to his class.

"So who's the girl?"

The quiet voice from behind him made him jump, a curse slipping from his lips as he spun around to see Zay standing a few feet away, eyes watching him with a cheeky grin.

"What?" Lucas blinked at him distractedly as Zay rolled his eyes at him.

"The girl who you were walking to school with and talking to just now." He inquired as his lips quirked up into a smile. "Yeaaa…I saw you two. She's in my literature class. She's pretty cute, right?"

"Her name is Riley. What's it to you?" Lucas asked as they began walking up the concrete stair steps.

"Nothing, just surprised you're even talking to someone."

"I'm talking to you, aren't I?"

"I meant a girl."

"Maya's a girl and I talk to her all the time." Lucas explained.

"That's different, man. You have that look on your face."

"That look?" He asked, confused.

"Yes…of someone who is interested." Zay declared with a knowing smile. Lucas' eyes widened and he sucked in a breath. He could feel his whole face beginning to heat up.

"What? No! I barely know her. I've met her just two days ago. It's not like that—" Lucas frantic stammering was cut off midstream as Zay nodded and patted his shoulder.

"No need to explain, Luke. If you say it's nothing, it's nothing."

He gave a sigh of relief as they entered the school. "Thank you."

"Which is probably a good thing considering she is the Dean's daughter." Lucas shot him a look, his gaze boring into Zay's with his mouth hanging slightly ajar.

"W-what?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews, the adds and alerts. I apologize for taking so long to update. Hopefully there is still interest out there. But because it's been a few months since I last updated, I encourage you to re-read the previous chapters before reading this one just in case you miss an important detail. It is by the end of this chapter where we will find out the connection between Lucas and Riley, and where I'll be going with this story. Without further ado, enjoy!

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

 _One Week Later_

Waking up the following morning to the loud sound of an alarm was not a very nice start to the day. What made it even worse was that it was a Saturday and he couldn't sleep in. Sighing, Lucas sat up and looked around the dim room tiredly. After a few moments, he reluctantly slipped out of bed and staggered towards the bathroom.

The response of the shower was immediate as the metallic head that hung loosely above him spread water unto his body, the cold making his muscles tense. The water gradually warmed him, soothing the ache that clawed at his limbs from his previous work out. He slowly lowered his gaze, letting the water fall carelessly around him as he fell into a deep contemplation. He mostly thought about his father who he hasn't seen for over a year. With the news of his early release, Lucas prepared himself for the moment his father returns home. But a wisp of doubt still fluttered in his mind; a horrible thought that things would not change or work out between them.

A distant sigh slipped from his lips as he turned off the shower head and grabbed a towel nearby. He quickly dressed into black slacks, a white button down dress shirt with a dark grey skinny tie, and finished the look with a black blazer jacket and casual shoes before heading on out.

It was a quiet ride as Lucas stared out the window, absorbed in his thoughts. Andre eyed Lucas from the rearview mirror with curiosity, a mixture of emotions playing across his face. Silence filled the vehicle for a few moments, broken only by the occasional car driving past or the buzz that goes on in the busy streets of New York City.

"Aren't you a little overdressed?" Andre asked, mentally berating himself for his lame attempt at small talk.

Lucas glared at him, looking rather offended. "You're being paid to be my driver, not my fashion police."

Andre felt his face turn red as he cleared his throat and returned his gaze back on the road. "My apologies, sir."

After a few more stop signs, they finally reached their destination with five minutes to spare before his shift begins. Lucas stepped outside the vehicle and stood in front of the surprisingly small building with the words Topanga's printed on the window. It was far from a corporate headquarters of some fashion industry he expected it to be.

"What is this place?" He asked, eyeing the brick building as Andre stood beside him with his hands clasped in front of him.

"It's a bakery."

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment. "A bakery?" He scoffed. "And you knew about this place? Why didn't you tell me? Or warn me?" He asked, looking at him from the side.

"I'm only paid to be your driver, remember?"

Lucas sighed and watched as a stream of customers goes in and out of the building with either a beverage or pastry in hand.

"Go on, Lucas. You don't want to be late."

Seeing the amused look on his driver's face, Lucas glared at him. "Just be back here in four hours."

"Will do."

Lucas drew in a deep breath and then confidently strode inside.

He opened the glass doors and the chiming bell greeted him as he entered the bakery. Lucas began to look around; the scent of brewing coffee and pastries filling his nostrils as it escaped through the kitchen doors. Inside, pastries were lined up neatly in display counters, round tables and chairs were nearly filled up, and those that were empty were sparkling clean. People already lined up to pay for their orders at the counter where a beautiful maiden with dirty blonde hair greeted them with a bright smile.

"Welcome to Topanga's. May I help you?" Lucas turned to the source of a masculine voice with short dark brown hair and a friendly smile. He briefly looked at his nametag before awkwardly meeting his gaze.

"Yes, hello, Evan? Uh…my name is Lucas. I was sent by Mr. Cory Matthews."

He arched a brow and looked him over, taken by surprise. "Oh." He snapped out of it quickly and smiled at him. "Right. Come follow me." He led Lucas towards the back of the bakery and through a large door marked with the words "Employees Only." They stepped inside an empty room with lockers on one side of the wall and a small round table and couch in the opposite end.

"Okay, no offense, Lucas but you're overdressed." Evan began as he opened a small closet door that stood beside the lockers and grabbed a few items.

"So I was told." Lucas replied dryly.

"You don't want to mess up that nice shirt of yours so you're gonna want to put this on." Evan tossed him a black shirt with the bakery's logo and Topanga's printed on the front. "You're also going to need this." He handed him a black waist apron that ties around the back. "That should be it for now. Meet me at the front once you're ready to work."

Lucas nodded. "Yea, thanks."

Evan quietly left the room. Once Lucas was dressed, he stepped out to the front of the bakery where Evan was waiting for him. "Okay, the owner and store manager are usually not here during the weekends, but they placed me in charge and I was given specific instructions for you to shadow me for the day. We are pretty tight today with staff, so it's going to be busy. There are several events planned during the weekend, so we have tons of orders for cakes, pies, and some pastries. For now, I'll have you clean tables and greet customers." Lucas nodded, trying to take it all in. "Alright, let me introduce you to the staff and give you a quick tour."

Lucas shook hands with the other employees as they all welcomed him to the team. He concluded that they were all friendly, including the customers. There was just something about the place that made him feel right at home.

"All our condiments, napkins and anything we need to stock up at the front will be in the storage closet when you pass through the kitchen. Cleaning supplies will be next to it. If you need help finding things or if you're not sure about anything just ask the staff and they'd be glad to help." Evan turned to look at Lucas. "So do you have any questions for me?" Lucas shook his head quietly. "Ok good. Let's get you started."

And then he was already getting in the thick of the action, cleaning up tables and helping out the waiters to deliver orders to seated customers. He smiled at a young couple with their pastries and coffees in hand as he directed them to a free table by the window. It took him quite some time to get the hang of things. There were a few mishaps from accidentally spilling coffee to delaying clean up, causing a long line of waiting customers. One hour left into the shift and the traffic in the bakery suddenly picked up, and Lucas found himself lost in the noon-hour rush. But with the Evan's help, Lucas eventually got things moving along again.

Time passed by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, his four hours was over. After a few encouraging words from Evan, he went to the lockers to change back into his dress attire. He returned to the front of the bakery, looking down at his feet towards the exit when he accidentally bumped into someone. "Excuse me, I'm sorry I—" He immediately looked up and his breath caught his throat. His eyes widened as they locked with hers. "Riley?"

"Lucas?" She greeted in surprise, the amused tint in her brown eyes with the make-up she wore really bringing out the gorgeous color. "We need to stop meeting like this." She joked. "What are you doing here?"

Lucas blinked as he stared at her, completely caught off guard. A million things were running through his head, one of them being if it was the best time to tell her what he already knew and why he was there. "Uh well…" he began, nervously scratching the back of his head and trying to think of something smart to say. "Your Dad actually sent me here."

"My Dad?" She questioned, her brows arching in bewilderment. "Wait, how do you—" Riley froze as she fought her surprised reaction, but was sure he had noticed it. "You know."

He nodded with a sly grin. "Did you really think no one was ever going to find out?"

"I was hoping." She sighed, walking over to the nearest empty table as Lucas joined her.

"So when you said your Dad is head of an entire school, I didn't realize you meant our school." He sat down across from her as she silently nodded her head in embarrassment. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because…" she began exasperatedly, turning in her chair to look at him. "People will talk. People will make assumptions and formulate their own opinions. I just don't want people to treat me any differently…or think I receive special treatment just because I'm the Dean's daughter."

Lucas studied her for a moment, noticing the distress she was in just from talking about it. "Don't worry, I won't say anything."

She tilted her head to the side as a smile curled her lips. "Thank you."

"Hey, Matthews!" Came another voice that broke through the brief silence not long after. It was a voice Lucas wasn't quite familiar with yet, but he knew who it was before meeting his gaze. "The usual?" Evan asked, approaching their table as he greeted Riley with a wide grin.

"Yes, and one for my friend here Lucas."

He looked from Evan to Riley and politely shook his head. "Oh no, you don't have to—"

"Don't worry about it. My Mom owns the place." Lucas' eyebrows flew upward in surprise. "Not to be biased or anything, but the coffee here is amazing. Perhaps better than the overpriced café's and bistros you have over at the Upper East Side." She teased.

He narrowed his eyes at her playfully and she laughed. "I suppose I'll be the judge of that."

Evan blinked at all this, looking between them in a distressed fashion. When Lucas glanced back at him, he could've sworn that he saw jealousy evident on his face before he broke into a forced smile. "Ok, I'll uh…have those drinks ready."

"Thanks, Evan." Riley smiled at him as he stayed for another moment before reluctantly turning around and walking back to the counter.

A period of silence hung in the air before Riley interjected curiously. "So why did my Dad send you here?" Lucas didn't answer at first. Instead, he took a hesitant sip of the coffee that was sent over by one of the waiters. "It must be pretty bad."

"Why do you say that?"

"Clearly you're not here to make extra cash. So that leaves one other explanation." She looked at him as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. "You're in trouble, aren't you?"

The smallest of smiles graced his mouth. "It's a long story."

"Well, I got like ten minutes to spare." She said, leaning back on the chair comfortably with her legs crossed and her arms folded across her chest. Lucas stared at his coffee for a few moments, not wanting to recount the events. After a heavy sigh, he spent the next five minutes telling Riley everything that had happened.

"It could have been a lot worse." She replied, her face melting into an overstated expression of sympathy.

"Yea, I know."

Riley sat all the way up, clasping her hands together on the table as she leaned towards him. "Look…despite your poor judgment or lack thereof, your friends are really lucky to have you in their lives. I would give anything to have someone stand up for me the way you stand up for them." She said, her gaze boring into his as he felt himself lose his breath for a fraction of a second. "But it's okay to walk away, Lucas. It's not worth getting in trouble for. Besides, you're just letting the bad guys win by allowing them to get a rise out of you. Don't give them the satisfaction."

Lucas fell silent for a moment as he thought about what she said. For the first time in a long time, he felt he could be a better version of himself. "Thanks, Riley. That…that means a lot to me."

"You're very welcome." She smiled, grabbing her coffee from off the table as she stood up. "Anyway, I promised my Mom that I help her out with the bakery. I guess I'll be seeing you around?"

He nodded, his eyes never leaving hers as a smile touched his features. "I'm counting on it."

She flashed him another smile before turning around and heading towards the back.

"Oh and, Riley?" He called out, causing her to stop in her tracks and glance over her shoulder.

"Yea?"

"You're right. This coffee is pretty amazing."

She smiled knowingly. "See you later, Lucas."

* * *

Riley Matthews was walking down the sidewalk on her trek home from the bakery as the sun was starting to set. She was extremely tired with tons of homework that had been assigned over the weekend to look forward to. Climbing the stairs of the apartment building that she lived in with both her parents and her younger brother, she unlocked the front door and entered the living room. She then threw off her sweater and walked over to the kitchen where her Mom was sitting down in front of the laptop talking animatedly on the phone and what sounded like a tense conversation. She looked through the fridge and grabbed a bottled water before joining her mother at the table.

"Yea, okay. I'll see you at the office on Monday. Uh huh, yep…alright, bye bye now." Mrs. Matthews got off the phone and released a heavy sigh, forgetting for a brief moment that her daughter was in the room.

"You okay, Mom?" Riley asked, concern coloring her voice as she looked up from the laptop to meet her worried gaze.

"Oh, Riley. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I didn't notice you walk in." She said, reaching over across the table to give her a warm hug. "How was your day?"

"Business is good as usual." She replied flatly, noticing the troubled look on her mother's face. "Is everything okay?"

"Yea, yea everything is fine."

Riley raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem fine, Mom. What is it?"

Mrs. Matthews looked her over for a moment before releasing a tired sigh. "Well, if you must know, Riley…I just got off the phone with one of my clients and it turns out the man I put away for fraud and embezzlement was granted early release by the courts. My team and I tried to appeal and reverse the decision, but it was denied."

Riley frowned. "I'm sure you did everything you could, Mom..."

Mrs. Matthews simply nodded, the disappointment still evident on her face. "Yeah...well…enough about me," She said hurriedly, wanting to get off the subject as she exited the _Friar Case_ file from her laptop and smiled at her daughter. "I want to know everything about your new school."

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading! Any thoughts? Let me know.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews, adds and alerts. It pleases me to see some people still interested in the story, so again thank you for your continued support. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

It was a typical Monday morning in the Matthews household as Riley stepped out of her room and entered the kitchen for breakfast. Mrs. Matthews was on the phone and making coffee while Mr. Matthews was reading the newspaper. Riley took her usual seat in front of her brother Auggie who was about to fall asleep in his bowl of cereal.

"Did you get enough sleep last night, Aug?" Mr. Matthews inquired of his son.

Auggie shook his head and yawned. "I couldn't sleep last night."

"That's because you took a long nap yesterday, sweetie." Mrs. Matthews explained as she sat down beside him. "Now eat your breakfast. You're going to need the energy."

They ate in silence, Auggie forgoing his manners and scarfing down his food as Riley suppressed her laughter. "Hey, Mom?" He asked, looking up from his cereal bowl. "Can I bring a friend over for dinner tonight?"

"Of course, sweetheart." She answered, reaching over to wipe off the milk mustache from his face. "Ava is always welcome."

"Oh I wasn't talking about her."

Mrs. Matthews arched a brow in surprise. "Dewey?"

"Nope. It's someone from the baseball team. Is that okay?"

She nodded her head and smiled. "Sure. I look forward to meeting this new friend of yours, Auggie."

Just moments later, Riley was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the intercom buzz.

" _Hey. It's Evan."_

Riley scurried to the front door and pressed the intercom to respond. _"I'll be down in a minute."_

She rushed back to the kitchen and downed the rest of her orange juice before grabbing her backpack and grey cardigan from the couch. "Love you, Mom. Bye Auggie! I hope I don't run into you, Dad!" She joked before shutting the door behind.

Riley stepped outside of her apartment building where she found her male companion waiting at the bottom of the concrete stair steps. "Morning, Evan." She smiled and breathed in the cool air, lightly kicking a stone as they walked along the sidewalk in comfortable silence. She looked up at the morning sky to find a beautiful mix of yellow and orange with white clouds lingering overhead.

"So I've been thinking." Evan said softly, breaking the silence between them. "With the money your parents are making now, I'm surprised they haven't gotten you a personal chauffeur and limo to take you around." He teased as they descended the stairs to the subway station. Riley simply rolled her eyes, a smirk appearing on her expressive face.

"They are making just enough to send me to a private school, thank you very much. And besides, even if I had the extra money, I would rather take the subway with you."

He smiled sheepishly at her, looking away briefly to hide the blush on his cheeks. "So…what's it like hanging around with Manhattan's elite?" He asked suddenly, joining a small crowd waiting to catch a ride. "Have they scorned you? Questioned your superior intelligence and your fashion sense?" He nudged her playfully as Riley giggled.

"No." She murmured. "Not yet anyway."

They stood on the platform, waiting for the next subway train to arrive. Riley looked up at the screen above, which showed how much time was left for the subway to come. Luckily, it was only two minutes away until the next one.

"You know, they are not what they appear to be…or what we think they are." She began, shifting her weight from one leg to the other as an incoming train approached them shortly after. "Sure, ninety percent of the girls carry books in their designer handbags and most of them have limo service and ride in expensive cars. But…believe it or not, they have been surprisingly nice. At least the very few I spoke to anyway."

"Like Lucas." Evan blurted out as Riley shot him a look.

"Yea…like Lucas." She gave him an inquiring gaze, catching the annoyed tone in his voice. "Do you not like him or something?" She asked, perking an eyebrow at him. He shrugged his shoulders as the subway eventually comes to a halt. They hastily entered the packed car, squeezing through at the last second as they stood by the door. "Evan?"

"Okay I'm sorry, Riles but the guy walked in wearing a suit at a bakery." He scoffed, shaking his head. "What was I supposed to think?"

"That he was being professional on his first day, trying to make a good impression?" Riley commented, holding onto the bar as the train began to move. "And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that."

Evan frowned, nodding his head apologetically. "You're right. I wasn't even sure how I felt about him. I barely know the guy and I shouldn't make judgments. I'm sorry."

She simply smiled at him in reply, "It's okay."

They stood in silence for a few more stops until the subway stopped at a station and people around them got up, leaving the back of the car clear. "Well, this is me." Riley felt Evan shifting beside her as the doors opened.

"I'll see you after school?" She asked hopefully. "My mom is making dinner."

"I can't. Smackle and I have a science project to work on. But I'll um…I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay." She smiled and watched as Evan turned and left.

* * *

By the time Lucas arrived at the school gates that same morning, he was greeted by a few of his friends, most of them from the baseball team. After exchanging a few words, he quietly walked through a loud hallway full of students moving about to their first period classes while overhearing some students gossiping about the latest scandal and their love life. He continued down the direction of his locker, ignoring the flock of girls around him, begging for his attention as he kept moving. He turned at a corner and found Zay, Maya and Farkle standing by his locker waiting for him.

"Luke, my man!" Zay greeted cheerfully. "We missed you this past weekend."

Lucas smiled as he dialed in the combination to his locker and grabbed his books. "What did I miss?"

"We crashed a party at NYU." Farkle grinned, a little mischief showing in his bright eyes.

" _You_ crashed a party?" He questioned, amusement playing across his features as Farkle nodded his head proudly.

"Yup!" He exclaimed, leaning against the lockers with his arms folded across his chest. "I was living pretty dangerously."

Zay and Maya exchanged looks and laughed. "Wish I could have been there to see it." Lucas said, turning to his friends as he slammed his locker door shut.

"You should have seen Maya." Zay smirked, playfully nudging her shoulder. "She was flirting with some college guy."

"Shut up. I was not!" She snapped as she could feel the heat growing in her cheeks, betraying how she may indeed feel for the college sophomore.

"Oh yes you were."

"He was flirting with me." She exclaimed, biting her bottom lip to suppress a smile. Lucas quickly glanced over at Farkle and watched his expression change to one of jealousy. Luckily for him, the others didn't seem to notice.

"So when do you have time to hang out, man?" Zay asked, pulling his broad shouldered best friend in for a one-arm hug. "You've been MIA."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I just…I have a lot going on right now with little league, the bakery…and my Mom getting the penthouse ready before my Dad arrives." He paused briefly, a sigh escaping his lips. "Trust me, I wish I could hang out with you guys more."

"It's okay, Huckleberry. We are here for you no matter what." Maya offered a reassuring smile as Zay and Farkle nodded their heads in agreement.

"Thanks, guys."

The sound of the first bell chimed around the school, signaling that classes will start in ten minutes. The four exchanged high fives before parting ways, agreeing to meet up during lunch period.

As Lucas headed towards his first class, maneuvering his way through the crowd, he was caught off guard when he was suddenly pushed against the lockers to his right. The loud bang resonated the hallways, pulling the attention of a few lingering students nearby. Lucas gazed up, a shocked look on his face when he spotted Thor casually walking away.

"Hey!" He yelled, ignoring Zay's plea to stop as he took a few long strides to reach Thor and gave him a little shove backwards. "What the hell is your problem, man?!"

"Come on, Lucas. Let it go." Zay intervened, creating some separation between the two.

Thor raised his hands up defensively, a mischievous grin plastered on his features. "You were in my way, Friar."

Lucas glared. "When are you gonna get it through your head that Maya doesn't want you. She doesn't like you and will never go out with you."

"Oh because everyone just wants to go out with you, right?"

"Maya is my friend." He corrected, anger fueling in his green eyes. "What will it take for you to stop?"

"Stop?" Thor scoffed, wracking his mind for a better expression, and then suppressed a mirthless laugh. "Oh I'll leave Maya alone all right. She's a great a girl and all. I like her. I don't want to hurt her. No." He said, shaking his head. "That was never my intention." Lucas' eyebrows furrowed, detecting the hurt and anger that has suddenly risen in Thor's voice. His eyes reflected such pain and grief that Lucas knew at once that this was more than a silly feud between them, but something far more personal. He couldn't help, but feel slightly scared. "I was going after you, Friar." Thor declared, his eyes filled with determination as they locked intensely with his. "And I will not stop until you suffer and feel the pain that your family has brought upon mine."

Lucas paused for a moment and swallowed hard, gathering what's left of his composure. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Like hell you don't know!" Thor fired back as his eyes moistened unknowingly, his nostrils flaring up in a huff. "It's been going on for years."

Lucas said nothing at first, wrestling with things he couldn't understand. "That's just it, Thor." He ventured slowly, the pain in his chest growing stronger as secrets and memories of the past flashed before his eyes. "It happened years ago."

"And you honestly believe it stopped?" He blinked, his eyes fuming with rage as Lucas was taken aback by how vulnerable and serious Thor looked. "Do you ever wonder who keeps your mother's bed warm at night when your Dad is away?"

A thick silence filled the hallway as the air around them began to feel tense. The only sound in the space was the muffled voices coming from the other students who stayed and watched the confrontation with wide eyes. Lucas stood rigidly, his chest heaving and hands balled up into fists when suddenly the sound of footsteps cut through the silence, causing him to regain control and relax his muscles.

"That's enough you two." Came a firm voice from behind. They all looked up to see the Dean Mr. Matthews standing before them. "Show is over." He said, looking between Thor and Lucas with a concerned expression. "Everyone go to class. _Now_."

And just seconds later, the final bell rang as students hurried to their classrooms. Lucas waited for a moment until the hallways cleared out. And when it finally did, he looked up and spotted Riley standing at the other end of the nearly empty hallway. Their eyes connected briefly, Lucas not missing the grave concern that was etched in her features. Swallowing tightly, he watched as she averted her gaze and walked away.

* * *

Lucas stared fixedly at the wall watching the clocks hands tick one by one, counting down the minutes and seconds until the final school bell rang. He wasn't having the best day and it seemed like everything was slowly getting worse as the events of what happened earlier continue to occupy his thoughts. What made it even worse was that everyone at school seemed to know as he could feel their eyes trained on him and hear students whispering among themselves as though he wasn't there.

The second the bell rings, Lucas was already on his feet, pushing his way through the crowd and exiting through the school gates where he spotted his driver waiting for him up front. He was then dropped off at a park near Greenwich Village for little league baseball practice as it was another day to serve out his punishment.

With so many emotions running through his head coming into practice, coaching alongside Josh gave him the distraction he needed as his day gradually improved. Seeing the joy on the kids' faces made it worth getting in trouble for as he found comfort and relief from his crazy life. But as time went by and practice drew to a close, Lucas was dreading the thought of going home and facing his mother.

So when one of the boys eagerly invited him and Josh to have dinner at his place, Lucas couldn't find it in his heart to refuse the young lad. It was also the perfect opportunity for him to avoid his mother for a few more hours.

By the time practice ended, the three of them got into Josh's car as he drove a few blocks down the road until they stopped in front of a row of modern, mid-rise apartment buildings.

"Thanks for the ride, Uncle Josh." The boy said as he stepped out of the back seat and shut the car door behind.

"No problem, kiddo."

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows as he followed them up the stairs to the apartment building. "Uncle?" He questioned, a confused expression spreading across his face. "Wait a minute…"

The front door suddenly opened as Lucas looked up and found Mr. Matthews standing before them. "My brotha!"

"My brotha!" Josh greeted back as the two share a hug.

Lucas watched on with an awkward smile, amused by the Dean's goofy and lighthearted nature he never saw coming. His eyes then softened to cautious uncertainty as he began to worry about how Mr. Matthews will receive him. But by the time his friendly gaze turned to his, all his doubts melted away. "Ah, Lucas. You must be the friend Auggie was talking about. Welcome to my home." Mr. Matthews said warmly. "Please come inside."

Lucas nodded his thanks as he allowed Auggie to pull him inside to their livingroom apartment where a woman approached him.

"Hello, I'm Auggie's mother." She greeted, extending her hand and smiling reassuringly at him for a handshake. Lucas looked at her hand for a moment and took it gently.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Matthews." He replied, returning the smile. "My name is Lucas."

"Mom, Dad!" A familiar voice sounded as the light breathlessness of her voice made his heart flip. "Who is—"

She reached the bottom of the small steps that led to the kitchen as she looked up and paused in mid-sentence, a surprised and goofy grin appearing on her face. Her gaze shifted from Auggie to Josh until they landed on Lucas and smiled. "Oh hey…" She spoke softly as Lucas sends her a small smile, his green eyes gleaming with adoration.

"Hi."

Mr. Matthews drew his brows together as he watched the exchange take place between the two of them. His confused face then turned into one of genuine concern, realizing what was happening as a nervous breath escaped him.

 _"Oh boy…"_

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Hey, guys! I'm back. Thanks for the adds, alerts and to those who reviewed the last chapter. My deepest apologies for taking months to update. I had a lot going on, and it took some time to finally get this done. Hopefully there is still interest out there. I do advise to read the previous chapters to refresh your memories. With that said, this is a lengthy one so I hope it will be worth the wait. Enjoy.

* * *

 **CHAPTER SIX**

"Well, that was an interesting dinner."

Riley was in the middle of grabbing books from her locker when a familiar voice cut through her thoughts. Looking up in surprise, she gave a small smile when she saw Lucas leaning against the lockers. He looked handsome with his piercing green eyes and short dirty blonde hair. She felt she was staring at him for too long and it made him chuckle. She blushed and finally looked away.

"I'm so sorry." Wrinkling her nose in embarrassment, Riley closed the locker door shut. "I know my family can be weird, especially my Dad."

A light chuckle escaped him once again, which made her look up at him curiously. "No worries. Your family is great, Riley. I had a good time."

She smiled in relief, her gaze softening in his. "I did too."

Lucas didn't bother to hide his own smirk as he naturally fell into step with her down the hallways of Thomas Jefferson Prep. Behind them, Riley could faintly hear the whispers. They were clear but subtle voices and she knew what they were talking about. She also noticed a lot of the girls were openly staring at him.

"Hi, Lucas."

"Morning, Lucas."

"Hello, Lucas."

The girls greeted and smiled at him warmly as Lucas made his way through; seemingly eager to have him around for reasons he knew but thought it best to play oblivious. He politely smiled at them before gluing his gaze back on the ground. Riley had to press her lips together from laughing when she heard their squeals.

"Wow…who knew you're so popular with the ladies." She teased and grinned when Lucas gave her a death glare. "What?! It's not exactly a bad thing. You have…options." She giggled, warranting an un-amused look from him as they ascended up the stairs.

"Stop it." He said, but even he can't help but smile about it.

They reached the second floor and entered the main dining hall before the lunch bell rang. Students began to poor into the room by the tens and twenties, the warm aroma of gourmet food served in buffet style filling their noses. Lucas and Riley stood in line with trays in hand as they waited patiently to grab some food.

Meanwhile from across the room, Lucas' friends Zay, Farkle and Maya were happily enjoying their meals, engaged in random conversations and occasionally breaking into laughter. Zay briefly looked up, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips when he saw Lucas say something to the brunette causing her to give him a playful shove. "Well, would you look at that." He muttered, nudging on Farkle's shoulder as Maya too looked in their direction.

"Who the hell is she?" A feminine voice sounded as the pretty light brown haired female sat down at their table beside Maya, causing the others to exchange bewildered looks. "And what is Lucas doing with her?" A nauseating wave of jealousy arose in her throat and she had to fight the cruel feeling from taking over. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail, the others had a clear view of the different expressions darting across her features.

"Ah, Missy Bradford. What an unpleasant surprise." Maya glared irritably.

"Well hello there, beautiful." Zay turned to quirk up one eyebrow at her flirtatiously. "How you doing?"

"Is that girl serious?" Missy scoffed, ignoring the others as her attention remained elsewhere but them. "Who the hell does she think she is attending a rich school and wearing shoes that are obviously from Macy's?"

Maya's eyes widened, her pink-tinted lips parting in disgust. "Oh for fuck sake, no one cares!"

"Language, Ms. Hart." The Dean warned as he casually walked by their table.

"Sorry, Mr. Matthews." She forced a smile before turning back to Missy who was rolling her eyes dramatically.

"Of course you don't care." She continued, picking at her perfectly manicured nails. "You are Miss Maya Hart. You may not be the richest, but you are indeed the most popular girl in school. You could be wearing rags for all I care, and yet everyone here would still admire and worship you. Shock."

Maya's jaw clenched as she fought the urge to scream at her.

"I happen to like her shoes." Zay added after a moment of tensed silence. "It certainly emphasizes her long, amazing legs." Farkle looked down at his food and chuckled. "And besides, Lucas doesn't seem to mind at all considering he is over there with her and not here with you." He pointed out suggestively, hitting a nerve in Missy as she shot him a look.

By the time Lucas and Riley moved along the lunch line and paid for their meals, they headed towards the nearest empty table. It wasn't until Lucas briefly glanced up where he was a mere inch away from bumping into Thor. Luckily, he stopped before they rammed against each other as Thor glared at him and simply walked away.

"What was that all about?" Riley asked worriedly, stirring Lucas from his thoughts as she sat down across from him. When he didn't respond, she looked him straight in the eye. "I saw you two in the halls. Does it have anything to do with what happened yesterday?"

He nodded, hesitating slightly. She took in the uneasy expression on his face and smiled. "You don't have to tell me, Lucas. I just want you to know that if you need someone to talk to, I'm here." She reassured him when he still seemed reluctant. "And I'm a great listener."

With a steadying breath, Lucas focused on controlling his own emotions as he clasped his hands together in front of him. Her words, uttered with such assurance, warmth and sincerity had his control wavering. There was something about Riley, something that just gave off a different vibe than the other girls in school. Maybe it was her smile, shining bright and effervescent. She was cool, less desperate for attention, a little tomboyish in spite of how pretty and obviously feminine she was naturally.

"It wasn't always like this between Thor and me." He began, a sad tone entering his voice as he spoke. "We were pretty close once."

Riley frowned. "What happened?"

Lucas shifted in his seat nervously, feeling once more the trepidation he always felt when revealing parts of his life. "My Mom, she umm…she had an affair with his father a few years ago. It tore both his parents apart, and my parents…" he paused briefly and sighed, meeting her worried gaze, "well, let's just say it's a big mess."

She blinked twice and saw how guilty and ashamed he looked, feeling immense sympathy for him. She wouldn't know what to do if her family were put in the same, crazy situation. "It's not your fault, Lucas."

He scoffed a bitter laugh. "Yea, you should tell Thor that. He's taking it out on me as if what happened was all my fault."

"Or maybe he has no one else to turn to, and this is his way of crying out for help." Riley thought carefully as she raised her brow at him.

"Why wouldn't he just tell me?"

Riley gave a little snort as she popped a French fry into her mouth. "If you haven't noticed, males naturally have big egos. So of course he wouldn't say anything. I mean, would you?"

Lucas chuckled, sheepishly nodding his head in reply. "Good point."

The rest of lunch was spent in comfortable silence with Lucas eating and occasionally glancing at Riley, which was caught on when she looked back and smiled at him. She kept to herself most of the time, reading her book while munching on fries and sipping on ginger ale.

It was a few minutes before they were startled by a voice.

"Hello, Lucas."

He immediately glanced up and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Oh hey, Missy." He replied as he trained his eyes back on his tray, bracing himself for what's to come.

"Who's your friend?" She asked, eyeing the brunette suspiciously and then at Lucas who was feeling slightly nervous when Missy glanced her way, squinting and sizing her up.

"Hi, I'm Riley." She grinned, standing up from her seat and extending her hand in greeting. Lucas could feel his own smile brightening at seeing her so giddy. "I'm new here."

"Missy." She said, narrowing her eyes in scrutiny as she reluctantly shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you."

Missy raised her brow, clearly taken aback by her quirkiness. After a moment, Missy glared at her and forced a smile. "Yea, okay. Anyway, Lucas." She turned back to him, her ponytail whipping around her neck. "My parents are vacationing in the Hamptons for the weekend. I have the penthouse to myself and I'll be throwing a party Friday night. You should come."

He pursed his lips and sighed heavily, running his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Missy. But in case you haven't heard, I'm on thin ice and the last thing I need is a party that could get me in all sorts of trouble."

"Oh come on." She whined, not taking no for an answer. "It's nothing major, Lucas just a few friends. Besides, Zay, Farkle and Maya will be there." She explained, fluttering her eyelashes. When he didn't say anything, she glanced over at the brunette whose head was down and focused on a book. Missy bit her bottom lip, thinking for a moment before she spoke again with an exasperated sigh. "You can come too, Riley."

Lucas raised an eyebrow at Missy, his lips parting slightly in disbelief.

"What?" Riley's gaze lit up, matching the surprised look on Lucas' face. "Really?" She smiled with a subtle hint of excitement in her voice.

"Sure. Whatever." Missy gave a light-hearted shrug. "You can even bring a friend."

Riley looked directly at Lucas with uncertainty filled in her brown eyes. It took her a long second to finally respond. "Um, yea. Okay."

"Great! Lucas can give you the address. I'll see you there." Missy then turned back to him. "I hope you change your mind, handsome." She winked before leaving their table as he sat there staring after her. Riley bit her bottom lip, suppressing a smirk.

"So…are there girls in the school that _don't_ like you?" She teased after a moment of silence. "Because she obviously _likes_ you."

He sighed and looked back at Riley, allowing her to see the concerned expression on his face. "You should be careful with Missy."

"What? Why?"

"She can be manipulative. I've known her for years. She has a history of scheming and creating scandal."

Riley drew her head back and frowned. "And you think her inviting me is another one of her schemes?"

"I certainly hope not."

She pursed her lips in thought as she stared at him. "Well, she seems nice. And I like to believe that there is good in everyone. So I'm going to take my chances and attend the party."

Lucas's emerald-green eyes skimmed her face in admiration. "Alright then." He said after a brief pause, knowing he wouldn't change her mind. "I guess I'll see you there."

"You're going?" She gave him an inquiring look. He returned her wondering gaze and smiled.

"Someone has to look after you."

"You don't have to."

"I know, but I want to."

She furrowed her brows slightly. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I just feel like I'm not supposed to let anything bad happen to you."

Her gaze softened and brightened a little as a slow flush came rushing to her cheeks. "Thank you, Lucas. But I am capable of taking care of myself."

"And I'm sure you are." He smirked, sneakily grabbing her phone from the table beside him to dial in his number before she could protest. The bell suddenly rang, indicating lunch was over as he quickly saved Riley's number and texted the address. "But I'm still going to that party." He said, handing her back the phone before grabbing his lunch tray and getting up from his seat. "I'll see you there, Riley."

* * *

 _A few days later…_

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"Smackle, you know you let me talk you into everything." Riley grinned, glancing at her dark brown haired female friend from behind the closest door.

"Tell me again why you are dragging me into this party and not Evan?" Smackle retorted as she examined herself in the body-length mirror wearing a long sleeve blue dress with a pair of beige high-heeled booties.

"Well, I told my parents I will be sleeping over at your place for the night, so there's that. And knowing how Evan feels about Upper East Siders, he'd try to talk me out of it."

"Why are you even going? You dislike the Upper East Siders as much as he does."

"Some of them are actually really nice." Riley explained as she emerges from behind the closet door, fully clad in a knee high black dress with a tortoise shell buckle across her petite waist and a pair of black pumps. "And besides, this is my chance to get acquainted with everyone." Riley does a quick twirl as Smackle beams brightly at her. "What do you think?"

"You look so chic, darling." She smiled, chuckling softly as they spent the next ten minutes adding the finishing touches to their ensemble before sneaking out the bedroom window to catch a cab.

* * *

They've been at the party for half an hour and Riley had already lost Smackle. What she thought was going to be a small gathering turned out to be a big party with dozens of people filling up the entire floor of the penthouse while loud music played in the background. Riley separated from Smackle as soon as the first guy who she recognized from one of her classes pulled her to the side and asked her to dance. Noticing the stench of alcohol and smoke in his breath, she politely declined and managed to get away, only to bump into several more people. After apologizing profusely, Riley found herself leaning against the wall near the bar, beginning to feel ridiculously out of place. She sighed, wishing she had stayed at home instead.

"Not your type of scene, is it?" Stated a familiar voice to Riley's left, and she nearly jumped three feet in the air in response. Her head snapped towards the sound, eyes landing on his emerald gaze. He was wearing black slacks with a checkered blue and white short sleeve dress shirt and tie, standing out in comparison to her more casual look. She stiffened slightly, trying to ignore the growing heat on her face.

"Oh, um, no." She muttered, looking down self-consciously as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I just, well…I've never been to a party like this one before."

"Yeah, I figured." He smirked, looking her over a bit while she isn't facing him. "You look nice by the way."

She glanced up at him and smiled. "Thanks, Lucas. So do you." Riley turned her head back to the party, eyes scanning the crowd once more, not seeing a trace of Smackle anywhere.

"Looking for someone?" He asked.

"Yea, my friend. She's about this tall, dark hair with glasses and wearing a blue dress. I came here with her and she disappeared on me."

"Is her name Isadora by any chance?"

Riley's eyes snapped back to his. "Yes! She also goes by Smackle. Have you seen her? Where is she?"

"She's outside in the patio with a few of my friends. I can take you to her." He smiled before holding out his arm towards her. Riley stared at it in confusion for a moment before it dawned on her that he's offering it to her and she takes it without question. She allowed him to lead her through the crowd, surprised at the wide break they were being offered by the other guests as all eyes were on them. She'd had to practically fight her way through to get to the bar earlier.

They walked in silence for a few minutes until they reached the back of the penthouse and exited through the double doors that led to the patio. Riley was thankful for the cooler evening air the second she stepped out. The growing heat inside the building wasn't making her feel any more comfortable.

Once outside, she briefly looked up at Lucas out of the corner of her eye, but he was staring straight ahead. Turning her gaze back ahead of them as well, her eyes widen in relief at the sight of Smackle, who was busy talking with another guy, seemingly enjoying his company. Riley noticed she was smiling a lot, and in a better mood than she was earlier. Riley cleared her throat loudly before taking a few steps towards her, causing them and two other people to look her way.

"Riley!" Smackle excused herself from her tall male companion as she came stumbling towards her. Riley felt Lucas leave her side as he went to join the others on the opposite end of the patio. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you."

"And I've been looking for you. Are you okay?"

"Yea." She grinned. "I'm great. I'm more than great."

Riley took a step forward and glared at her. "Have you been drinking?" She asked, concern etched in her features. The alcohol on her breath was obvious and extremely pungent.

"Maybe." Smackle slurred and chuckled.

"How much did you drink?"

She shrugged. "A glass or two perhaps? I don't know, Riles. These fancy servers they have walking around kept offering me drinks." Riley sighed heavily. There was a brief pause as Smackle gave her a quirky little smile and chuckled. "You know, if I knew there were this many hot guys in your school, I would have begged my parents to make me transfer." Smackle whispered playfully. "I mean, it's no wonder Evan is jealous of Lucas."

"Smackle!" Riley hissed.

"What? He's such a dreamboat. And the other tall one next to him. His name is Farkle and he is very sweet. He kept an eye on me and made sure I stopped drinking." Riley smiled, glancing ahead of her where Lucas joined him and two other people, one short female with gorgeous blonde hair and another male with dark brown skin. "But anyway, we've been talking for half an hour and he is giftedly brilliant as I am. I mean, who would of thought I would come across someone with a perfect jawline who is also a threat to my superior intelligence. But don't tell anyone I said that, especially him."

Riley giggled for a moment and then frowned. "Well, I'm glad you had your fun, Smackle. But we're going home while you are still somewhat coherent."

She pouted, but said nothing to protest.

"Is everything alright?" Lucas asked as he approached them with three of his other friends standing at a respectable distance.

"Yea, everything is okay. But we are going to take off." Riley said, motioning to Smackle who was suddenly leaning on her shoulder and yawning. She then turned to Farkle and flashed him a smile. "Thank you for looking out for my friend."

"You're welcome."

"I'm Riley by the way."

"I know. I'm Farkle." He replied as he shook her hand. "Lucas talks about you all the time."

Lucas paled for a moment, breaking in an uneasy chuckle. "Okay!" He responded, waving him off and lightly elbowing Farkle as he watched the small smile Maya and Zay shared. "Riley, this is Zay and Maya. Guys, this is Riley."

"Hey."

"Sup?"

"Hi…" Riley greeted, smiling shyly at them.

"So do you need a ride back home?" Lucas asked. "I can have my driver take you guys."

"No, it's okay. We are taking a cab. We'll be fine."

He frowned, giving off a look of genuine concern and slight disappointment. "At least let me walk you out until your ride gets here?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Sure. I'd like that."

"We'll head out too." Maya said as she summoned her things nearby. "This party is a bore."

The others agreed as they began making their way back inside the penthouse where the music was blaring loudly and people were dancing. It seemed as if there were more people in the building than there were just twenty minutes ago as the smell of alcoholic beverages and smoke polluted the air, clouding their surroundings. They were about to exit when a voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Lucas! Where are you going?!"

Maya rolled her eyes, immediately recognizing whom the voice belonged to before they all turned around. Riley glanced at Lucas from the corner of her eye as a heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Missy."

She closed the distance between them, placing herself in front of him. Her hair was loosely down, her eyes red and glazed over, and her breath smelled like alcohol. "Come dance with me."

He grabbed her arms before she could wrap them around his neck. "You're drunk."

"And you're not drunk enough." She slurred as he deliberately took a step back before she could put her hands on him again. Missy flinched, her eyes glossing with a faraway haze as the hurt began to show in her eyes.

"Look after her, Chai." Lucas said, a sudden annoyance filling him as he shifted his gaze over to one of Missy's friends standing nearby. The blue-eyed, dirty blonde female nodded mutely. She then craned her neck, straining to get a better look at the brunette as Lucas and the others turned around and left.

"So is that the girl?" She asked curiously.

Missy folded her arms across her chest and heaved a sigh. "Yup."

"She's cute."

Rolling her eyes, Missy replied sharply. "She's in my way." She could feel the buzz starting to wear off, as she was able to think a bit clearer again. A pang of nausea hit her in the stomach and she groaned.

"So what are you gonna do about it?" Chai questioned, a mischievous smirk playing across her features as Missy paused at the comment and narrowed her eyes.

"I'm going to take her down."

* * *

The ride home was quiet as Lucas just stared out the window, exhausted. He sighed and shifted around in the back of the car until his tired body was in a comfortable position.

"Are you alright, Friar?" Asked his driver, peering at him through the rearview mirror.

Lucas stared at the back of his head for a second before he took a long, deep breath and let it out slowly through his mouth. "It's nothing."

By the time the driver pulled up by the sidewalk in front of the penthouse apartment building on East 66th Street, Lucas was out of the car and rushing to get inside and onto his bed. Instead of taking the slow service elevator to his apartment on the 6th floor, he quickly ran up the grand staircase. While passing through the hallway, he could hear muffled voices drifting in from behind the door to his apartment. He frowned before he slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

"Lucas." He saw his mother immediately get up from the living room couch, a worry expression worn upon her. His gaze shifted over to her male companion standing beside her; a man his height, but with graying hair and deeper lines around his eyes. He was thin, but with slightly wider shoulders. Green eyes stared at him from a hardened face as Lucas swallowed nervously.

"Dad?"

And then the hardened expression melted away and the eyes softened, glimmering a bit as extra moisture collected on them.

"Hello, Son." He smiled. "I'm home."

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for taking the time to read. Let me know what you guys think!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N** : Thank you to those who sent in their reviews, for the adds and alerts. Your words and your continued interest continue to motivate me. And special thanks to those who have been patient with me and stuck around to read this story. I know my updates haven't been frequent as of late, but I am doing the best I can with my busy life. With that said, I know it's been a month since I last updated, so I recommend you go back to read the previous chapters. Enjoy!

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVEN**

Lucas woke up to bright light streaming through his window. He squinted and shielded his eyes, blinking a few times before he reluctantly got up and stretched. He grabbed his phone buried underneath one of the pillows and turned off the alarm before it sounded in a few seconds. He let out a long yawn and walked out of his room towards the connecting bathroom.

When Lucas had fixed himself up wearing casual dark jeans and a simple V-neck white shirt underneath a grey shawl collar cardigan, he made his way to the dining room where cooked breakfast was laid out on the table. There were blueberry waffles, bacon, breads, macaroons, fresh fruits, juice and tea that made his stomach grumble from the smell alone. He briefly looked up and met his father's sharp gaze. He was fashionably dressed in a dark grey suit and black tie. His graying hair was slicked back and his face cleanly shaven, making him appear 10 years younger. But the eyes were still so terrifyingly righteous that Lucas had to avert his gaze to the gentle blue eyes of his mother—warm and inviting in comparison to his father's hardened expression.

"Morning," Lucas greeted as his mom gave him a warm smile and signaled him to sit down and eat beside her. He obliged and took the empty seat across from his father.

Breakfast was silent except for the chewing and the scraping of forks against plates. Lucas had finished before them as he got up and began to walk out the door.

"Hold on, son." His father called out to him as Lucas turned around and sighed. "Where are you going at this hour?"

"Paying my dues, sir. Mom didn't tell you?"

"Not in that bakery you are." He murmured.

Lucas' eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?" His face remained taut, muscles rippling across his frame as he shifted.

"I got off the phone with the Dean a few moments ago, and explained to him our…delicate family situation. He has agreed for you to complete your hours at Friar Enterprises while you continue coaching Little League."

"Are you fuckin' kidding me?!"

"Lucas!" His mother gasped, glancing anxiously between her husband and son. The tension in the room was almost palpable, emotions running on overload as they stared each other down.

"I just want to spend more quality time with you, Lucas." Mr. Friar explained, a nonchalant expression on his face. "Make up for lost time, is that a crime?"

Lucas lightly chuckled at the irony of the last statement. "No, you just want to control every aspect of my life as always." He retorted. His father opened his mouth, about to reply before deflating with a frown.

"I'll see you in my office in an hour." He said curtly, absently picking up his coffee mug and turning his attention over to today's paper.

Lucas' eyes flickered, a look of disbelief on his face. He glanced over at his mother, desperately pleading with his eyes, but she said nothing as she gazed at him calmly. A heavy silence filled the room, wearing down between them before Lucas regarded his father carefully.

"Whatever." His voice was surprisingly steady and collected as he grabbed the house keys from the kitchen counter and stormed out of the apartment.

* * *

A few minutes of precious peace was broken the moment another customer walked in, causing the little golden bell at the top of the door to jingle. She scrunched up her face, the smallest of sounds making her ears ring with intensity.

"Ugh." She hissed as she felt small, delicate fingers lift her head up from the table. Her limbs were heavy and her mind sluggish, but she forced herself to sit up on the chair. The morning light from the window blinded her, searing into her pupils like the fires of hell. "So this is what a hangover feels like." She groaned, accepting the water bottle that was placed in front of her. "Remind me to never drink again."

"I'm so sorry, Smackle. I should have never let you out of my sight."

"It's not your fault, Riley. I made the careless and idiotic decision to drink, not you."

"Going to the party was a stupid idea." Riley rambled on in one of her dramatic tirades, getting all worked up as the guilt forced her gaze downwards. "I'm so sorry I made you go with me."

Smackle rolled her eyes. "Would you stop that? Despite how terrible I'm feeling right now, I had fun last night." A hint of a smile graced her features as she thought about Farkle. Riley frowned and watched as Smackle rubbed her hand down her tired face. Just moments later, Evan returned to their table with two coffee mugs in hand.

"I thought this might help." He grinned, cautiously placing the coffee mugs in front of them. "Expresso macchiato for your hangover, and vanilla latte with extra whip for you, Riley."

"Oh thank you!" Smackle's gaze brightened a little at the delightful aroma of coffee. "Just what I need to restore my normal functioning."

Evan smiled, grabbing an empty seat nearby to join them and listened as they talked about the party.

"Sounds like you had a great time, Smackle." He smirked and then glanced over at Riley, whose eyes were wandering aimlessly around the room. Moments later, the bell chimed and echoed throughout the bakery, sounding another customer's arrival. They looked up as Lucas strode inside with his head hung low and one of his hands in his cardigan pocket. He placed the folded black shirt and apron on the counter by the cash register before turning around and hastily exiting through the doors.

"Okay…what's that about?" Smackle asked curiously as they exchange bewildered looks.

"I'll be back." Riley stood up and motioned towards the main entrance. Once she stepped outside, the cool morning breeze embraced her from behind while the warm sunrays hit the corners of her face. Her eyes scanned around the busy crowd, at the many pedestrians and tourists roaming the streets until she spotted him walking along the sidewalk towards the parked black Cadillac Escalade.

"Lucas!"

He stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder. His eyes went a bit wider, and he looked at her in awe as she approached him. "Hey, Riley."

"Hi…" She smiled, a genuine concern pulling at her lips. "Is everything okay? I just saw you walk in and out of there so fast." Riley stared at him for a moment and noticed his face had crumpled with emotion.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. It's my Dad…" he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked her over with gentle, emerald eyes. "He's back."

"Oh…"

"I won't be staying at the bakery. I'll be completing my hours at my Dad's company." A disappointed tone entered his voice. Riley slowly nodded, unsure of what to say. She could see the uncertainty clouding his features, the frustration and anger he was trying to desperately hide from her. So she gave him a reassuring smile—hoping it would ease some of his worries.

"No matter how you feel about him, Lucas…he is still your father who loves you and just wants what's best for you even if you don't agree with him."

He sighed as her words broke through him for a fraction of a second and completely crippled his defenses. "I know…"

A blanket of silence fell upon them; their eyes still set on one another. Lucas was sort of at a loss as he felt his heart slammed against his ribcage at the softness of her gaze. It amazed him that even though he wasn't in the best of moods when it came to his father, somehow...someway she had an effect on him that nobody ever had before. And as scary as it was, Lucas was absolutely sure she was the only one in the world who managed to make him feel the way she did.

Made him feel that everything was going to be okay.

"Anyway, I should go. My Dad is expecting me." He muttered as he took a few steps back and reluctantly began distancing himself from her. "I'll see you around."

Riley nodded, smiling lightly as she watched him get in the back of the car and leave.

* * *

The rest of the weekend went by without much incident, and that was mostly due to the fact that Riley didn't leave her apartment once—other than going to Topanga's to help out for a couple of hours. When school rolled around, she found herself being summoned to the Dean's office at the end of first period. As she made her way towards the administration building, she spotted Missy Bradford just stepping out of the Dean's office, a mischievous smirk plastered on her face. Riley didn't think much of it as she approached Missy and greeted her with a giddy smile. "Hi, Missy."

"Oh hey, Reina."

"It's, Riley."

"Oh…right." Missy flipped her hair over her shoulder and shrugged. "Well, bye now."

"Bye!" Riley waved cheerfully and proceeded towards the office, knocking on the familiar oak door.

"Come in." The cool, composed voice belonging to her father sounded through. Pushing the door slowly with one hand, he did not look the slightest bit happy.

"Dad? You wanted to see me?" Riley asked somewhat tentatively as she cautiously entered the room.

"Yes, please sit down." He gestured as she perched on the edge of the nearest chair, not knowing what she was supposed to be guilty of or why she was even there in the first place.

"Does this belong to you?" He asked, placing a dark blue jean jacket on the desk.

"That's not mine." Riley answered truthfully.

"Missy Bradford told me she invited a few friends over for a party, and thought maybe you left it behind." He said, wearily sitting back in his chair. "But I was thinking it couldn't possibly be yours because if you had attended the party, I would have known about it." Riley swallowed thickly, unable to hide the guilt clearly etched on her face. "So why would Miss Bradford think this was your jacket?"

She drew in a nervous breath, bracing herself. "Please don't get angry, Dad."

"I'm not angry, Riley. I'm disappointed that you would lie to me."

"I didn't lie…I just left that part out." She shrugged innocently in an attempt to play it off as something unimportant.

Mr. Matthews regarded her for a moment and sighed. "You're still keeping things from me, Riley and that's being dishonest."

"I'm sorry, Dad." She lowered her gaze shamefully and scuffed her foot on the ground. "I just…I wanted to meet new people and make some friends, and I didn't tell you because I was afraid you'll say no." Mr. Matthews looked her over with a mixture of empathy and concern in his eyes. "Are you going to tell Mom?"

"No, because you are."

She sighed. "I'm so sorry, Dad."

"Just promise me it won't happen again."

"I promise..." There was a brief pause as Riley rubbed her hands together nervously. "So am I grounded?" She asked as Mr. Matthew released a light chuckle and found that he couldn't stay disappointed at her for long.

"Well...it all depends on whether or not you'll accept my proposition."

Her brows knitted together curiously. "What do you have in mind?"

"Finals are coming up and they are going to need some tutors to help out for a few hours after school. This would be a great opportunity for you to meet people and for them to see how amazing you are." Riley beamed at the thought. "That…or be grounded on your mother's terms."

"I'll take it!" She exclaimed, a bright smile suddenly radiating from her lips. "So when do I start?"

"How does right after school sound?"

* * *

Her last two period classes went by quickly as she looked forward to the end of the day when she would help someone become a better student. While waiting in the tutor center located inside the library, Riley grabbed the nearest empty table and made herself comfortable in a chair. She took out her pencil and notebook and began flipping through her science book aimlessly, unaware of the doors opening behind her.

"Uh…Riley Matthews?"

A masculine voice sounded, pulling her from her thoughts. Her brown eyes met his warily as surprise registered in her mind when she recognized him.

"Yes?"

"Hi, I'm Thor. It looks like you're my tutor." He smiled, taking a seat across from her at the table as he handed her an official tutor assignment slip with their names printed on them. "Not exactly my favorite subject, but I have a history quiz by the end of the week, and I need to turn my C- into a B+ if I have any chance of getting into Columbia."

She narrowed her eyes, studying him carefully. He looked handsome with his built physique and soft brown hair that fell just above his light brown eyes. "You're the guy that had a bit of a scuffle with Lucas in the hallway the other day."

He cocked a brow at her mockingly, amused. "And you must be the pretty new girl who is also the Dean's daughter." Her lips parted in disbelief as a light chuckle escaped his lips. "Oh come on, two new people at the school who arrived at the same time with the same last name." He smirked. "Even I don't need a tutor to figure that one out."

"Are you making fun of me?" She huffed.

He blinked and flashed her a puzzled look. "I wasn't trying to be funny. I was simply stating the obvious."

Riley closed her science book and released a sigh. "Okay, if I'm going to help you…I need to know the kind of person I'm dealing with because if you're gonna be the jerk I saw in the hallway the other day, then you can just forget about it. Because guess what? We all have problems, and we shouldn't have to put it out on other people."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. He felt a strange sense of weariness settle over him as he gazed at Riley. "Is that was Lucas is telling you?" His shoulders relaxed as the barest hint of a smile tugged at his lips. "You care about him." It sounded more like a statement than a question as Riley felt his eyes studying her.

"So do you."

"You don't even know me, Princess."

Riley frowned and chose her next words carefully. "I know you guys used to be close friends, and despite your big ego, you miss him." Thor opened his mouth to quickly reply, only to find that no words would leave him. He remained silent, and she can see from the way his face darkened that she has hit a nerve.

"Are you my tutor or my shrink?" He addressed her with a warning tone that she was crossing the line. But at this point, Riley couldn't stop herself. She couldn't help herself when an opportunity arose—the need to help people, to fix those who were broken. If she couldn't fix what was happening between Lucas and his father, then maybe she can mend a friendship.

"Whatever you need me to be." She answered as Thor blinked, looking as surprise as she did. It felt so utterly strange being cared for by someone he barely knew, and yet there was something about it that was almost soothing. There was a short silence as her eyes fell from Thor's inquiring gaze to the open history book on the desk. She swallowed weakly, propping her chin on her hands as she felt her cheeks flush. "Alright then. World War II."

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Hey, readers! A million thanks to those who are still reading and sending in their reviews. I apologize that it has been months since I last updated, but I got a bit side-tracked and life got in the way as always! I really hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

* * *

 **CHAPTER EIGHT**

Everyday seemed to get worse.

His parents were arguing again and he was sitting on the back seat of the limo trying to not hear them. He didn't bother to care what it was about this time. It was always the same meaningless argument. They mainly fought about business, their crumbling marriage, and most of all, Lucas.

He looked out the window and watched the buildings and people on the street pass them by. What was going outside was far more interesting than the argument.

"I'm just saying, our son deserves to play in the championships, don't you agree?"

Lucas heard his mother released a heavy sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to ease the headache that was starting to form. Thanks to his father who seemed to drive everyone around him crazy.

"Lucas," his father addressed him. "Don't you think you should play?" He simply shrugged his shoulders, keeping his eyes out the window. "Son, you have every right to be on the field with your teammates. They wouldn't have gotten this far without you."

"But they did." Lucas retorted, annoyance nipping at the edge of his words. "I missed a couple of games, and they got to the finals without me."

"Are you saying you don't want to play?"

"Of course I want to play, Dad. But I messed up, and I'm paying for it as I should."

Mr. Friar regarded him carefully. "I can speak with the Dean on your behalf."

"Dad…"

"I can reason with him."

Lucas shook his head and sighed.

"Lucas—"

His eyes trailed to the streets ahead of him when he suddenly spotted her. Brunette hair curled back behind her ears and cascading over her shoulders, with a radiant smile that reached her brown eyes as she passed by other pedestrians.

Seeing her made him forget everything else. She made him smile and his heart do funny things on his chest. And when they actually became friends, he could only remember how happy he was spending time with her.

"Son, are you even listening to me?"

They were a block away from the high school when Lucas signaled the driver's attention from the rearview mirror. "Andre, pull up here." He demanded.

"Lucas."

He ignored his Dad as the driver pulled up to the side of the road.

"Bye, Mom!…Dad."

Lucas hastily opened the car door and stepped out, not looking back as he rushed towards her down the sidewalk.

"Hey, Riley." He greeted, catching his breath upon reaching her.

She spun around and smiled brightly at him. "Oh hey, Lucas!"

He naturally fell into step with her, both not saying a word for several moments. As soon as their high school building approaches, Lucas peered at her from the corner of his eye and smiled. The sun was shining brightly around her, highlighting the pink patches on her cheeks and making her hair appear lighter. She was utterly beautiful in a white short sleeve blouse and uniform plaid skirt that made her legs look like it can go on for miles. She wore a little make-up; a clear gloss that coated her full, pink lips and a touch of liner that brought out the softness of her brown eyes. Her strawberry vanilla scent was filling the small space between them at an alarming rate, infiltrating his senses as he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart.

"So…are you planning to see Auggie at practice today?" He asked, breaking the comfortable silence as they ascended up the stairs to the school's main building.

"I wish I could be there, but I'm tutoring."

"Tutoring? Since when?"

"Since my Dad found out I went to Missy's party."

Lucas raised a brow at her in surprise. "You lied to him?" He wore a confused expression on his face, which fell slightly when Riley nodded sheepishly. "Why? You're so much better than that."

She shrugged it off and sighed heavily. "I've been following the rules all my life, Lucas. For once, I wanted to let loose and do something that is unexpected of me."

They stopped at the top of the stairs, staring at each other longer than they should. "Look, I get it. We're in our rebellious teen years and we are going to get in all sorts of trouble. But...you're different. You're _good_. It's what I like about you. And I wouldn't want you to change who you are."

There was a bit of hopefulness in her eyes as the pink hue in her cheeks made him smile wider. "Really?"

He released a short chuckle, amused by her reaction that made her look even more adorable than she already is. "Yes, really."

She pressed her lips together, her brown eyes searching his green ones. Suddenly she was aware that his face was only a few inches away from hers as she drew in a nervous breath. "I wouldn't want you to change who you are too, Lucas."

The softness of her gaze brought a flutter to his stomach. They fell silent, their eyes locked on each other. They were too far off in their own world, they didn't hear anyone approach them.

"Hey, guys." Zay greeted from behind as Lucas and Riley both jumped at the sound of his voice. "Oh um…was I interrupting something?" He asked, staring between the two with a silly grin.

Lucas and Riley exchanged nervous looks, unsure of what was happening—unsure of the warm fuzzy feelings lurking in the pit of their stomachs. "No, we were about to head to class." Lucas answered, clearing his throat to steady his voice. She looked down and smiled shyly, which only served to frazzle his mind even more.

"I'll see you guys around." Riley said cheerfully before walking past them. Zay's curious eyes watched Riley until she was out of sight.

"So…were you guys having a moment?" Zay grinned, looking at Lucas with a slight raise of his eyebrows. "Because it looks like you two were having a moment."

Lucas stared at the ground, trying to hide his smile before he muttered, "Shut up."

* * *

It was the first break period and the scorching heat in mid May brought many students outside. With the air conditioning down and maintenance currently working to fix the problem, students found some relief from the ungodly heat. By the time she stepped outside, the shaded areas were already occupied as Riley Matthews sat on the stairs in front of the school, getting more agitated as the sun was beaming down on her relentlessly. She rapidly fanned herself with a notebook when she heard running footsteps rush past her. Riley glanced up ahead of her as the blonde, blue-eyed female she recognized from Missy's party dropped a notepad at the bottom of the stairs with its contents scattered on the steps.

"Shit. Really?!" The blonde cursed under her breath in frustration. Without hesitating, Riley stood up and began picking up the loose papers as she makes her way down the steps, staring at what appears to be beautiful works of art. From sketches of New York's finest landmarks to portraits of people hand drawn in strikingly vivid details, the drawings were really pretty and realistic as Riley stared at them in amazement. "You don't need to do that." She snapped, making Riley jump in fright as she turned to her with a polite smile.

"I know, but I want to." She said cheerily, handing her the pages that fell from the notepad.

"Thanks."

"Maya, is it?" Riley's voice broke through the brief silence as the blonde nodded absently.

"Yep."

"I'm Riley."

"I know who you are." Maya smirked. "We met at the party."

"Did you draw all those?" Riley asked curiously causing Maya to roll her eyes.

"Why? Is it really that hard to believe?"

Riley's gaze widened a bit, realizing she was easily misunderstood. "No, of course not! That's not what I was—" She trailed off nervously and sighed. "I was gonna say...you're a really great artist, Maya."

She was looking at Riley with a thoughtful and surprise expression gracing her features. She then weakly smiled, her tone doubtful and wary. "Thanks…do you draw?"

"Yes. Terribly."

Maya raised a brow at her for a brief moment and chuckled. She could see everything Lucas had said about her. From her over-the-top bubbly persona to her infectious charm—she was the kind of person Maya would normally get annoyed of. But it was not hard to see why Lucas was instantly drawn to her. She was kind, genuine and surprisingly funny with an upbeat personality that was refreshing and sincere. She was unlike most girls in the school who tried their hardest to fit in, and often used their high society status to get by.

"But I do appreciate fine art when I see one." Riley added as Maya could feel a blush creep up underneath her cheeks at the compliment. Even though her best friends often praised her for her artistic talents, hearing it from someone outside of their close-knit group meant so much to her than she'd imagined.

"Thanks..."

Her blue eyes looked at her kindly and Riley smiled. "You're welcome."

Another moment of silence followed before Maya spoke again. "So…um…is your friend Smackle okay? She was pretty tipsy that night."

"Oh yeah, she's fine. She swore never to drink again." Riley said with a giggle. Maya broke into a wide grin when movement from the corner of her eye drew her gaze. She spotted Thor, in his letterman jacket and uniform khaki slacks, heading in their direction as her soft expression turned to one of irritation. ' _Great.'_ She thought.

"Hey, Maya." He approached her with a smile. "How's it going?" She glared at him as his eyes trailed to the invitation that was sitting on top of her artwork. He reached out to grab a copy. "Summer Masquerade Ball…" he read, admiring the calligraphy with raised eyebrows. "Wow…you outdid yourself this time, Hart."

"What do you want?" She asked, his presence already making her nauseous.

"What? I can't say hello?"

Maya skeptically furrowed her eyebrows, studying him carefully. "Hi…?" She didn't know how to answer him as he quietly chuckled at the uncertainty in her tone of voice. He then flickered his gaze over to Riley and she noticed his expression brightening at the sight of her.

"Hey, Riley!"

"Hello, Thor." She beamed.

"Guess who aced their history exam?" He exclaimed, a wide smile breaking across his face as he showed her the test results. Riley briefly scanned the paper before looking back at him with wide eyes.

"That's great! I knew you could it." She praised happily.

"Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you."

Maya fell silent, momentarily puzzled as she stared between the two of them.

"Anyway, just wanted to thank you for all your help. I guess I'll see you after school? Same time?"

"Yep. I'll see ya."

Thor turned his gaze back to Maya, her blue eyes wide and troubled with confusion. "Later."

The blonde nodded mutely as he carried on and walked away.

"Riley, what are you doing with him?" Maya asked with a more serious tone. "He's bad news."

"I'm just tutoring him." She shrugged, a tinge of annoyance coloring her voice.

Maya sighed. "Just be careful, okay? He's not exactly the nicest guy to be around. I mean, I would know."

Riley furrowed her eyebrows in bewilderment. She knew the kind of person she was dealing with, but she still harbored hope in her heart that Thor was an inherently good guy despite the things he had done to make others think otherwise. "Why is everyone telling me to be careful?" She asked. "Does this school really have that bad of a rep of how people treat each other?"

Suddenly, the bell sounded, indicating the end of break. Maya placed her hand on top of Riley's shoulder, moved by her unwavering faith and optimism in others, which would only disappoint her in the end. "Sadly, yes." She said as she turned around and retreated back to her classroom, leaving Riley's curious mind to ponder.

* * *

The excitement on the boys' animated faces was enough for Lucas to realize how much fun he was having. Never mind having to miss out on playing for the state championship. If this was Mr. Matthews' idea of a "punishment," he'd be happy to do it all over again.

The sun was beginning to set as the heat of the afternoon sun gradually subsided. It was another successful day of coaching as Lucas, Josh and the entire Little League baseball team headed over to Topanga's to cool off. Tables were joined together as they occupied half of the entire space. The boys chatted amiably as Lucas and Josh discussed the starting line-up and various plays for the little league season opener next week. They waited until their smoothies arrived when Lucas felt the vibration of his phone from his back pocket. He pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen. His mood changed instantly when it was his father checking in for the third time, asking about his whereabouts and demanding him to head on home. Lucas ignored the messages and the missed calls as he threw the phone in his backpack and released a heavy sigh.

"Is everything alright?" Josh asked worriedly, stirring him from his thoughts.

"Yea, man." Lucas forced a smile as he reached forward to grab his drink from the table. His enjoyment faded even further when he suddenly looked up and spotted Riley and his nemesis seated in the corner of the room, buried in textbooks.

His lips were parted and his face remained impassive, but inside, he was seething. "Excuse me, I'll be back." Lucas stood up from the table with clench fists. He mentally prepared himself for what was about to come. He didn't want to let his anger take over his body, especially in front of Riley. And he certainly didn't think it was worth getting in trouble for over a guy like Thor who has tormented him for as long as he could remember. But when it came to his friends, and someone like Riley, who he cared about and grew fond of for the past few weeks, he knew he had to keep her safe, no matter how she felt about it.

"Thor," Lucas said sternly as he approached their table.

"Lucas," Thor replied, expecting to be in this situation. He knew at some point Lucas was going to confront him about the whole thing.

"May I have a word? Outside, please." He demanded.

"Lucas…"

He glanced over at Riley and saw the concern in her face. He simply smiled at her, hoping to ease her worries.

"Just to talk." He reassured her, putting his hands up calmly. "I promise."

Riley believed him as she nodded her head nervously and watched the two of them exiting the bakery.

"This thing between you and me needs to stop." Lucas spat as soon as they stepped outside, turning his body to face him. "I'm done fighting with you. I'm done trying to reason with you. I'm done being mad at you and I'm done getting in trouble because of you." Lucas finished, his tone revealing just how serious he was.

"I agree."

Lucas gritted his teeth. "Then what the hell are you doing with Riley?"

"Nothing!" Thor almost choked on his own spit as he stared at him in confusion. "Dude, she's tutoring me."

"She's tutoring you?" He scoffed in disbelief.

"Yea…I was assigned to her." Thor responded firmly.

Lucas stared at him with blank eyes. Thor took his silence as a cue to continue.

"Look, I didn't know you two knew each other. So if you think this is just another one of my stupid schemes to get back at you…it's not. I'm done with all that."

Lucas' gaze hardened with a glare. He knew he shouldn't; he knew that he had no reason to trust Thor; after all this time; for the past 2 years, all he's done was make his life a living hell. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

Thor shrugged, letting out a sigh. "I guess…someone made me realize a few things about myself that's all." He answered, remembering what Riley had said to him at the tutor center as her words resonated with him.

They stood in silence for a few moments, both lost in their own thoughts and waiting for the other to speak. "I'm sorry. About everything."

Lucas blinked, not expecting an apology. Thor looked back at him and he could see the guilt in his eyes. Lucas had been expecting to be told off, or to be fed some bullshit line. He never thought he would apologize. And for the first time in a long time, Lucas could see the guy who was once his friend, whose bond he thought would never break, slowly become himself again.

"Look, if it makes you feel any better I'll ask for another tutor."

Lucas shook his head. "No, don't do that. Riley is great. You won't find anyone better." Thor nodded, a small genuine smile forming at his lips. "And I'm sorry too."

Another moment of silence followed as the two stared at the ground.

"Anyway, I should head back inside. Riley is probably in there freaking out."

Lucas quietly chuckled. "Yea."

Thor turned back around to head inside, but stopped halfway before reaching the door.

"Oh and Lucas?"

"Yea?"

"Do yourself a favor and ask her to the dance." Thor smirked, pressing the invitation onto his chest before walking back inside the bakery.

Lucas stared at the invitation in hand, his breathing suddenly going quiet and deep. He looked up and peered at Riley through the window, his mind racing, wondering how the hell he was going to find the courage to ask her to the dance.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think! Next chapter is when a lot of things will go down. Stay tuned!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Hey, guys! Thanks to those who last reviewed and favorited this story. So proud of myself. Took me less than a month to update (lol). Your kind words and continued support is a true motivator for me so thanks a million! Without further ado, here's the latest chapter. It's not as long, but I had to get through this part to move further along into the story. Enjoy.

* * *

 **CHAPTER NINE**

"So is it true?"

Lucas looked up from his Geometry textbook. Class was about to end as students slowly began to pack up, ignoring the teacher's final words in the lesson. "Is what true?"

Thor threw his messenger bag over his shoulder. "What everyone's saying." Lucas knitted his brows together, waiting for him to elaborate. "Rumor has it that you're back on the baseball team to play in the Championship game."

Lucas quietly chuckled at the thought. "Uh no. I won't be playing until next season."

"I heard it from Coach himself." His teammate, Dave who plays shortstop said next to him. "You're in, man."

Lucas gave a confused look and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sound of the bell, signaling that second period has ended. Students rushed out from the classrooms and scattered the hallways. Lucas walked through the rift of students and eventually found himself in the library during break period. They were nearing the end of the school year, which also meant finals were around the corner. It was expectantly full of anxious students cramming restlessly for finals week. He walked in further past the computer lab and up the stairs to the second floor, scanning a familiar face until he caught sight of Zay and Farkle at a corner table near the tutor center.

"Hey, guys." Lucas took his seat between the two of them, ignoring the stares and the giggles from his female classmates as he walked by. He looked over at Zay who stopped scribbling down notes and leaned back on his chair, shaking his head at him. "What?"

"All you have to do is sit there and look pretty, man." He remarked with a glare, gesturing over to a group of girls staring at their direction. "You don't even have to try. Girls just line up for you."

Zay continued his rant as Lucas idly gazed around the room. He was about to make a witty retort when someone from across the room caught his eye. She was sitting down a few tables away, chewing on her bottom lip—her brown eyes fixed on a novel she had lost her mind in. He found himself staring at her out in the open, trying not to be obvious about it. His palms began to sweat as he gingerly opened his notebook.

"Hey." Farkle broke him out of his trance, nudging his shoulder. Lucas jerked back, unaware. "Are you alright?" His voice had snapped Lucas out of his reverie. He rapidly blinked for a moment, and then came back to reality.

"Huh? Yeah." He murmured rather unconvincingly, absently twirling his pen between his fingers while trying to read his Biology notes. Farkle and Zay exchanged matching grins, realizing the reason for his odd behavior as they peeked at her direction.

"So…have you asked her to the dance yet?" Farkle could not resist asking the question that had bugged him since this morning. With the annual end of the Summer dance fast approaching, everyone seemed to be excited about it as the endless chatter of dresses and dates filled the school.

Lucas melodramatically fell back onto the chair and groaned inwardly. "How do I ask her to the dance?"

"How about, _'Riley, will you go to the dance with me?_ '" Zay suggested, his tone hinting slight sarcasm. Lucas sat up and glared at him.

He was not known for being an awkward guy. In fact, Lucas had a reputation for being quite the ladies' man—always getting the attention of girls with his dashing good looks and athletic abilities. It's not like he never asked a girl out before. He had dated girls in the past, took them out to see a movie and accompanied them to school dances. There wasn't much effort on his part. Girls did most of the asking. He was a smooth talker, he hardly ever had a problem picking out the right words. But with Riley, it was different.

"You better ask her or someone else will." Maya joined their table just moments later. He tried not to think about it, but the very thought of another boy asking her unsettled him.

"If you don't ask her then I will." Thor joked playfully as he grabbed a chair nearby and sat down between Lucas and Farkle. An uneasy silence filled the air for a few moments as the core four eyed him suspiciously. "What? She's quite a catch." He then turned to Lucas and whispered. "By the way, I was only kidding about the asking her part."

Zay's eyes furrowed and he gave Thor a puzzled look. "So…are we like supposed to be your friend again? Because I'm confused as to why you're sitting with us." He turned to Lucas questionably.

"It's okay, guys." He said, nodding reassuringly as he looked from Zay to Farkle, and then at Maya. "We're…we're okay."

Maya scoffed. "Well, I still don't like you." She retorted as Thor simply shrugged it off and flashed her a crooked smile.

A whole minute passed as a heavy silence fell upon them once more. Lucas swallowed hard as his nerves picked up again. The group eventually breaks into conversation, talking about the Baseball State Championship and Lucas being back on the team, which apparently the whole school knows about, but him. Lucas proceeded to tune them out, mentally reminding himself to talk to Mr. Matthews regarding the matter.

"Dude, why haven't you moved yet?" There was amusement in Thor's voice as it pulled Lucas from his thoughts. "Go ask her. She likes you."

"What makes you—"

"She likes you." Thor clarified with a knowing look.

Lucas bit the inside of his lip and felt a very nauseous feeling rise in his stomach.

"What's the harm in trying?" Maya asked, sensing his distress. "The worse she can say is no."

"Yeah, and you'd still have half of the girls in the school to choose from." Zay added bitterly.

Except there was no one else he would want to go to the dance with.

"Oh what the hell." Lucas stood up abruptly, his courage found finally after a whole week of contemplating as he grabbed his belongings and forged ahead. He knew that he must seem calm on the outside, but his mind was racing, and so was his heartbeat. His hands were sweating more than ever as he clenched his fists and unclenched them, making an indirect route to her table until he finally stopped behind the seat in front of her.

"Hey." He breathed nervously. Lucas felt his heart skipped a beat or two when she looked up and smiled brightly at him.

"Hi, Lucas."

"Um…may I sit here?"

She blinked after a few seconds and replied quietly. "Yes. Yes of course."

He sat down across from her as they fell into a comfortable silence with only the sounds of pages turning and chairs squeaking with their occupants' shifting.

"What are you reading?" He asked, genuinely curious and happy to have time to speak to her.

" _Me before You."_ She replied enthusiastically as she showed him the book cover.

"Sounds…romantic."

She closed the book, marking her spot between the pages with a pen. "It's tragic really. I read it like three times, hoping for a different and happier ending." Lucas raised a curious brow. Riley tensed up a bit and blushed in embarrassment as his green eyes focused on her. "You must think I'm weird."

His smile crossed his face before he could stop himself. "Not at all."

Lucas felt like he was flying just talking to her. It has become one of his favorite feelings in the world. Once he got pass the initial awkwardness, the conversation flowed seamlessly. They talked about the upcoming finals week, her favorite novels, little league baseball, and their plans for summer break. Then after a few moments of silence, Lucas watched her pull out her Physiology textbook and flipped through the pages while occasionally writing down notes.

Then he remembered why he was there in the first place as he frantically rehearsed in his head on how to broach the subject. "So…are you going to the dance?" He asked softly, his heart thumping wildly in his chest.

Riley shrugged. "I don't know. I guess if someone ask me."

He took a deep breath and readied himself for either answer, and promised that if she rejected him he wouldn't react.

"Will you go to the dance with me?"

His reply had been instantaneous and right to the point as he tried not to cringe under her disbelieving stare. He felt more self-conscious than he'd ever felt before in his entire life. His heart started to beat faster and faster with each passing moment. What was she going to say? Yes? No? His mind raced, and he was sure that he was going to have a heart attack if she didn't answer soon.

"Y-you're asking me to the dance?" She mumbled faintly, blushing nearly as deeply as he was.

He swallowed and his heart was sinking fast. She was going to reject him. He was sure she was going to say no, and he was never going to be able to look at her again. "Yes, I am."

Lucas stiffened as Riley opened her mouth again, and he was clutching the sides of his chair so tightly his knuckles turned white. The dread was already settling in his stomach as he agonized through five more excruciating seconds.

"I'd love to."

* * *

Riley rushed back home from school with a flurry of excitement. The absolute glee on her face and her carefree posture made it feel like her heart was soaring high in the clouds.

She was going to the dance.

And she was going with _Lucas Friar_.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. At least not how she imagined her high school life would be. Riley tried to tell herself she wasn't exactly Lucas' type. She wasn't the type of girl guys like him would notice. She was just…Riley. Because really, why would a handsome and most popular guy in school go after a clumsy, over-the-top, average nobody like her?

Riley shook her head vigorously, trying to expel such thoughts. She had no idea when it had started, or how it began. Sure, he was quite a vision to look at, but she didn't expect to enjoy talking to him. He made her smile, laugh, and even just feel good about herself. But the one thing that the girl with long, brunette locks couldn't deny was that she was falling for him.

Riley was still beaming joyously by the time she arrived at the doorstep that led to the apartment. A few quiet murmurs could be heard from behind the door as she opened it and stepped inside.

A completely unpleasant silence filled the room. The kind of silence that her well-trained instinct tells her something was wrong. Her parents, her brother Auggie and her Uncle Josh were all in the living room, facing each other as they turned to look at her as she entered. Suddenly her excitement from earlier had dissipated, and anxiety coursed right through her when she noticed their somber expressions.

What's going on?"

"Honey, come sit down. We have something to discuss with you." There was a mixture of restrained anger and sadness in her mother's voice as she patted the empty seat on the couch beside her.

"What is it?" Riley asked as she slumped down onto the couch, seeing the look of disbelief on her mother's face.

"There was a School Board meeting today." Her father began, reaching over to grab his wife's hand. Riley shifted her eyes to their joined hands and watched as her mother gave his a squeeze. She looked up and frowned as a pained expression began to dawn upon his face. "There were parents who shared their concerns about how I run things at the school. Particularly, the disciplinary action I imposed on one of the students." Riley simply nodded, her silence prompting him to continue. "I have always taught you and your brother to stand up to what you believe is right even if faced with opposition."

"I know..." Her mind was still wrapping around his words, trying to understanding the meaning of all this. "What are you saying, Dad?" Riley's breath hitched and worry flooded her voice.

"I was let go, Riley. I am no longer the Dean at the school."

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **A/N:** Let me know what you guys think! Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more.


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